Red Letter Day
by mjb84
Summary: AH, AU, Eric's a hs football player who is forced to take Home Ec. in order to graduate. What happens when it gets a little hot in the kitchen with his teacher, Miss Stackhouse?
1. Chapter 1

A/N- I know, I've started another story and I'm still knee deep in the vampire one. Don't worry, I won't leave one hanging for the other. I just needed to get this idea out there, plus, it feels like a good balance to A New Death. So, I guess will see where this goes and if there's much of a response.

No beta- if you'd like to do the honors of cleaning up where I've diddled (ooh, that sounded dirty), then please, let me know.

This is my very first AH fic. I love 'em and have been toying with this idea for a while now.

Enjoy…

Disclaimer: Not mine- all Charlaine Harris'.

***X*X*X*X**

Red Letter Day

"Wait a minute… what do you mean I have to take Home Ec?" My voice turned into a growl at the last few words.

"Respectable tone, Mr. Northman." Dr. LeClerq rolled her overly made-up eyes at me. "You haven't completed all of your electives to graduate. If you do not take a course from the following choices, You. Will. Not. Graduate." _Seriously, I'm not fucking stupid. I may play football, but I can read- bitch!_

I glanced down at the list of classes to choose from:

-Multicultural Ed. (_No-fucking-way! I do not smoke nearly enough weed to even half-way understand that class, or the teacher, Ms. Broadway_)

-Home Ec. (_If I couldn't nuke it, what was the point?)_

-Intro to Home Finances (_Hire an accountant… nuf said!_)

"So, what'll it be, Mr. Northman." During my inner debate, Dr. LeClerq had been tapping her blood-red nails on her mahogany desktop. For a principal, her outfit was horribly inappropriate. Though, I'm pretty sure she shoved the twins together and leaned over a little more when I stepped into the office.

__

Oooh… just what I want to see. Wrinkly tits, covered in over-tanned cowhide. Nasty!

Sorry, I wasn't normally this sarcastic… well, sometimes. It was just this stupid course had me riled up. I was being forced to take a frickin' freshman course to satisfy my credit hours so I could graduate. Ridiculous!

__

I had a fucking 4.0 average. With honors! But, nooooo, I had to learn how to cook or balance a checkbook or, God forbid, learn an interpretive dance of an African Folk-tale.

Ok…Ass-kissing in 3…2…1, "Look's like Home Ec. it is, Ms. LeClerq." The gigantic, toothy smile, dripping with gratitude should get my point across. Plus, she hated it when we didn't call her 'Dr.'

"It's _Dr._ LeClerq. Good, I'll let Miss Stackhouse know you're sooo excited to join her class."

School had started three weeks ago, but I had just now found out about the elective-snafu by my guidance counselor, Mr. Burnham. He told us to call him 'Bobby', but that just had 'pedophile' written all over it.

_He was useless._

So, here I waited for the start of my first class of the day- Home Ec.

__

Boring!

The model kitchens were filled with freshmen of all shapes and sizes. _Really, they all looked clueless and annoying._

Some of the girls were giving me the googly-eye. Trying to act coy, but not quite able to pull it off.

__

It's not like I wasn't used to it. Six-foot-four, broad shoulders, long, blonde hair, blue eyes, starting, varsity lineman- I'm hot! But, if I fawned over every girl who looked my way- I'd lose the image.

Well, at least I wasn't the _only_ one who got screwed over by 'Bobby'. Quinn, one of our receivers, was sitting next to me at our 'prep table' (or so it was labeled).

He seemed awfully happy to be in this class.

"Dude," Fuck! That's what he calls everyone…all the time. Well, I guess it could be worse, I could be a girl, and then my name would be 'Babe.' "Miss Stackhouse is fucking hot!"

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. Apparently, the look on my face prompted him to convince me of our Home Ec. teacher's physical attributes.

"Seriously, Dude! She's blonde, blue-eyed with a tight ass. Her tits aren't bad either. I've taken this class like three times already." The way his eyebrows jumped up and down made me wonder if all the hair on his body was trying to run away. _Who goes bald in high school?_

Ok, I had slight ADD tendencies and if I wasn't careful, I lost my focus in certain conversations.

Quinn may be a senior and we played football together, but that doesn't mean we're 'BFF's. At the moment, he'd be lucky if I didn't grab the silicone cheese grater and julienne him to death.

Luckily, the door to the classroom opened up just as I was reaching towards the handheld, Kitchenaid device. _Fucker was saved by the bell!_

This early in the morning, I found it difficult to keep my eyes open. So, they tended to focus on the floor. Which was a good thing. Her shoes caught my attention first.

__

No! I was not a fetish man. But, I could appreciate a nice pair of heels.

And, these were, indeed, a nice pair of heels. Baby blue, peep toes with a two-inch heel. Very sleek and shiny. The kind you just knew would feel good digging into your ass.

__

Ok, too early and wayyyy too long since I got laid!

Of course, the heels were connected to an amazing pair of legs. I loved nylons on a woman (_it was always fun to rip open your presents_) but I'd have bet money that her legs were just _that_ tan. They were too smooth to be manmade.

My salacious perusal of the newcomer's legs was interrupted by the hem of a pale tangerine sundress. Her luscious hips slid into the dip of her waist.

As I made my way up her incredible form, my eyes passed her delicate arms and the white cardigan concealing sinfully generous breasts. Not overflowing to the point of indecency, but definitely on the Top Five of any guy's Spank Bank.

__

She had to be a 'butterface'. There was absolutely no way, a woman, with that body, had anything going on up top. It was like a karmic law, or something.

Fuck!

__

I took in her face all at once.

Definitely not_ a 'butterface'!_

Her deep, sapphire blues were scanning the room. There was a little tug on her bottom lip that indicated she was chewing on it slightly. Her wavy, golden locks swung back and forth as she took in the room.

__

Damn, Gorgeous! If you're looking for a place to sit, I've got a spot just for you. Right on my lap!

I know, pig-headed, blah, blah, blah…

Just as I was about to stand and offer the new girl a place to sit, she spoke,

Her face softened into an immaculately pure smile, "Good morning, students. Thank you for being so well mannered for your substitute, Ms. Fant, for the last three weeks. My family emergency is under control now and I don't foresee any long breaks from teaching in the near future." _Holy-fucking-shit! _She's_ the teacher?!_

__

Fuck, I was expecting a Quasimodo, Julia Child's type ogre to come in here and start harping about 'cooking with love' and shit like that.

I didn't expect to want to hump my Home Ec. teacher… at least, not for something other than extra credit.

__

I do_ have standards._

My internal head-smacking was interrupted by a lotiony-smooth hand extended into my personal space-bubble. _Same tan. I wondered how far it went…?_

__

Teacher.

Teacher.

__

Stop eye-fucking your teacher!

I gathered my wits about me fast enough to gently grasp her hand.

"Eric Northman, I believe?" _No condescension whatsoever in her tone. Amazing, considering most of the teachers assume that I was all football and nothing else. Whatever._

"Yes, ma'am." _Mama didn't raise no fool._

I swear to God her pupils just dilated slightly…that, or I was staring way too much.

"Well…uh, welcome to my class. I'm Miss Stackhouse. I hope you've come prepared to learn." The slightly startled expression that crossed her face and the light blush that colored her cheeks told me that was a bit of a Freudian slip.

Miss Stackhouse curtly nodded at my smirk and turned on her heels. I watched her worship-worthy ass swoosh side to side as she made her way to the front of the class.

Her voice was melodious as she explained the dishes we'd be creating over the next few weeks. Apparently, the class had not delved into many entrees, mainly side dishes and appetizers, since they had been under the guidance of a sub for the past three weeks.

She seemed so confident when she talked about food. _Funny how just thirty minutes ago, she was blushing while talking to a nineteen-year-old student._

Unfortunately, I couldn't concentrate on a word she said. I was far too occupied willing away the wood I had for my teacher. This really didn't help when we were expected to wander about our 'kitchens' and put together a simple breakfast pie.

Luckily, no one noticed my hard-on. Nope, they were busy, being entertained by my ability to screw up every single step.

__

¼ tsp does not equal ¼ cup. Oops.

Baking soda is definitely not the same as baking powder.

__

And, apparently, milk should not turn brown while you are heating it on the stove.

How the fuck was I supposed to know?!

Quinn was giggling in the corner like the creepy little girl in that exorcism movie.

__

Dick!

Miss Stackhouse was patient the entire time. Never once commenting on how I looked like a paraplegic handling an egg-beater.

Not one word about the flour now covering the front of both our aprons (_yes, it was required apparel_).

Even without her speaking, I could tell she was getting just slightly frustrated with my ineptness. But, there's no way she was as frustrated as I was. I had a 4.0 because I was good at _everything_. I mean _everything_!

By the time the bell rang, I had balled up my blue plaid apron and tossed it towards the laundry basket. I was done. This was stupid.

**!*!*!*!*!**

For the next week, everyday was the same. Sure, I got to stare at an insanely beautiful woman. I just couldn't get the hang of this cooking thing.

I was also flying solo, as I had requested all individual assignments. There was an odd number of students and Quinn was a douche. If I had to hear one more comment about him "tappin' that"… I wouldn't get graphic but it involved the grater, peeler and melon-baller. _Let your imagination do the rest_.

Finally, by Friday, Miss Stackhouse and I had come to our wits' end. I approached her after my stuffed, French toast ended up inside out and exploded.

"Miss Stackhouse," her innocent eyes trailed up my chest to mine, "I don't know what I'm doing, but, I don't think I can do this." I shoved my right hand through my hair, raking out the ends.

"Eric," she took a moment, like she was searching for the least insulting words, "everyone can learn how to cook. It's all about finding the right _motivation_." The twinkle in her eyes had me intrigued as to exactly what kind of motivation she was talking about.

"Can you come in during eighth period? That's my plan time. We can work one on one." She fidgeted with her nails. Not in a 'geez, I hope that lady filled them correctly' kind of way, but more of a nervous twitch. It was cute.

"Sometimes… when we're out of our element, it can be difficult to perform… at our best. It might help to eliminate any extra audience and keep it to just you and the ingredients. Does that sound like something you can do?"

Eyebrow lifted.

Smirk in place.

Oh yeah, I could definitely use a new kind of motivation. One on one with Miss Stackhouse was exactly what I needed to pass Home Ec.

My cool, calculating nod was all the confirmation she received.

"Alright, give this," she tore a yellow slip from a pad and handed it to me, "to Mr. Burnham and he'll change your study hall to an independent study time with me." I gathered my backpack and slung it over one shoulder. My gaze lingered over the delicate flower that was carefully sanitizing the countertops. Such the picture of innocence.

__

She wouldn't know what hit her.

As I stepped through the doorway, her voice stopped me.

"Eric?"

I turned slightly, taken aback by the depth of blue in her eyes.

"Don't be late. I hate to be kept waiting."

__

Whoa! "Yes, ma'am." I nearly stuttered, practically cumming in my pants from the dominance in her voice.

This would be a very interesting independent study.

***X*X*X*X**

A/N- Alright, here's the part where you tell me what you think. I have a fairly clear plan of attack on this story, but am always in search of improvement.

Thanks for reading :o)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- OK, lemon warning- if that sort of thing offends you, don't read this chapter, or quite a few of the ones that will follow. If that sort of thing doesn't offend you, well, then, yay! Enjoy!

Disclaimer- Property of CH- I'm just playin'

* * *

************

  
Chapter 2

This day couldn't have been any longer. I got my ass chewed by Coach Stackhouse- _yes, he is related to the lovely, Miss Stackhouse_. Apparently, my "fat ass" wasn't running drills fast enough for the Nazi.

My fourth and fifth periods of the day were filled with mindless cheerleaders, who assumed I would fuck them simply because their name made the roster. _Alright, I wasn't terribly picky about the 'slot' to my 'tab', but… these girls were just… So. Damn. Boring!_

They never had a unique thought rattle out of their acrylic-laced brains. If one of them actually managed to say something witty, or challenge me in some way, it was because they happened across the Daily Show or The Office while looking for another episode of Girls Next Door.

This past week, though, there was something more. I kept feeling anxious. Today was the worst. Knowing I'd be seeing Miss Stackhouse again made my dick quiver.

_Yeah, I said 'quiver.' _You_ can tell the fucker stop but _I_ ain't going to._

When I wasn't fucking it up in the "kitchen", I was totally immersed in what she was talking about.

Miss Stackhouse would throw in commentary about growing up in a farmhouse with her Gran, or, stupid, off-color, jokes about food in general.

She never made us feel that student/teacher distinction. It was more like master and apprentice.

_Hmm… that brought out a whole new imagery… Miss Stackhouse as the master, in black leather…_

_Fuck! Ok, down boy, it was still 10 minutes until we'd get to see her again. Plus, I didn't think we'd want to introduce her to you from 15 feet away (alright, that may have been a _slight_ exaggeration)._

I was perfecting my swagger as I entered the 'Extra's building. This building was separate from the rest of the school. This is where most of the elective courses were held- industrial tech, multicultural ed., sewing and 2D/3D art.

This was the reason I had never seen Miss Stackhouse before this last week. She had only started teaching here last year and was isolated in this building. I haven't taken classes out here since my freshman year.

Walking in, I spotted my vixen across the cooking area… _Oh God! She was talking to Miss Broadway. What a nutcase!_

_If I had to sum up Miss Broadway in two words, they'd be, Hippie Chic. _

_She was drenched in beads, filmy skirts, and was all about the "aura" surrounding shit… whatever!_

My confidence flew right out the door when I heard the tender laughter floating out of my would-be mentor. It was so disarming. I hadn't realized I was gaping at the sight of her perched on a stool, legs crossed.

Her dress had ridden up her thigh allowing a fantastic view from my vantage point.

That was…until it was interrupted.

"Mr. Northman, you're early. Thank you for taking my warning seriously." Miss Stackhouse rotated on the stool so her hands were on the prep table behind her.

Miss Broadway slid off her stool and eyed me warily as she practically glided out of the room, "Bye Ames."

"See ya, Sook!" _Sook? That can't be her name, can it?_

"Eric, please have a seat." She patted the stool that was dangerously close to her.

Yep, too close. As I sat down, my leg inadvertently rubbed against hers. She quickly looked down and away from me.

Turning to face me, she'd regained her composure, "Ok, we're not going to do any cooking today." _Oh really? Whatever will we do Miss Stackhouse? Hmm… I could always work on my dessert prep skills._

Raised eyebrows let her know that I was curious as to our specific activities this afternoon.

"We need to discuss why people cook and figure out some goals for you in my class." _Alright, goal number 1- get in your panties!_

_Yep, I was pretty much past the fact that she was my teacher. She was hot, there's no way I was passing up this opportunity._

_My moral compass seemed to be getting hazier and hazier._

_Holy Shit! Her hand was on my arm- no I'm not a preteen girl, but the woman of my dreams (at least lately) was in direct contact with my skin._

_Ok, she didn't grab my bicep seductively, she just placed her hand on my forearm._

_The kind of way you touch someone to get their attention…_

_Oh, yeah!_

"Eric? Are you ok?" I nodded, afraid I'd start licking her hand like an over stimulated puppy. "Alright, why do you want to learn to cook?"

_Easy_. "I don't."

Her smile dropped just a tiny bit, enough that I noticed and vaguely regretted my brusque answer. "Well… I… then why did you take my class." She looked 'honest to God' flustered with my answer, brow furrowed, slowly clicking the pen in her left hand.

_Shit, well… honesty was the best policy…I hoped_.

"Coach Stackhouse told me that Mr. Burnham screwed up my schedule and left off an elective. So, Dr. LeClerq forced me to choose between your class, multi cultural ed, and home finances. I chose this class." Simple enough.

"Oh… ok. Well, let's pretend you actually _wanted_ to take my class." _Oooh, sore spot. I guess I did unintentionally insult her class. I'm sorry, I have a very precarious filter between my brain and my mouth- not my fault, blame it on biology._

"Why would someone want to learn to cook?"

"I don't know, usually the girl offers to cook for me." My eyebrow waggled to punctuate my insinuation…_ oh yeah, that only works in the locker room… around guys… oops!_

"Look Eric," _Yep, she's pissed_. "I am not wasting my plan period just so you can make fun of my career choice. I love food, I love making food. If you're not going to take this seriously, then there's no way that I'm going to spend my free time helping a spoiled football player pass a class just so he can keep tossing around a little ball." _Damn, take a breath, I get it! I was a dick!_

"Miss Stackhouse, I'm sorry," yum… I do love me a big helping of crow, "I wasn't trying to make fun of your career. I guess I'm still a little pissed that I had to take another class my senior year that is mostly a freshman course. Mr. Burnham screwed me over and Coach Stackhouse has been all over my ass that I have to keep up my grades to play. And, in case you didn't notice, I suck at this class." _Not to mention, my focus is shit when you're within my line of sight._

"Eric, when we're working one on one, please call me Sookie. 'Stackhouse' is my brother, I've never been that hung up on students calling me by my last name. Unfortunately, _Dr._ LeClerq would have a fit if I didn't make my classes call me that." I chuckled and her eyes, finally, connected with mine.

"Jase needs to lighten up, football isn't everything." _What?! Blasphemy!_ "Don't give me that look! It isn't. Eventually, you'll have to survive without it, and when that time comes- you'll need to cook for yourself." The smile hiding on her lips told me she was teasing.

"So, what kinds of things do you like to eat?" _Watching her glossy, pink lips form the words had me thinking of an entirely different answer than what she was expecting…_

_Focus, Northman!_

"I don't know. I guess I'm a meat and potatoes guy." I stretched my arms above my head (_yeah, I was showing off exactly what those meat and potatoes did for me_). She nodded as she let her eyes slide down my frame.

She caught herself and snapped her eyes back down to the notebook in front of her. My ever-present smirk reached a little higher.

"Well, then I guess we'll start with a few entrees that should be simple enough. Once you get those mastered, we can move on to the more complicated dishes."

For the next hour, Sookie wrote down and explained the items she'd have me prepare. She walked me through the ins and outs of a kitchen- _she was able to gloss over the microwave, we've already met_.

There was the occasional (and I do mean 'occasional', she was doing her damndest to stay at a professional distance from me) flirtatious touch. Nothing major and definitely not intentional.

She was reaching into the cabinet over the microwave for a misplaced set of measuring cups. Even on her toes, she was still just out of reach. Being the gentleman that I was (_yeah right!_), I stepped forward and grabbed the cups. However, they were in the back of the cabinet, which meant I had to lean against Sookie to get them.

My constant hard-on (well, constant now that I was near Sookie) pressed lightly into her back. And, I swear I felt her arch ever so slightly against me.

When I handed her the utensils, she was looking at my hands but the blush was creeping into her hairline.

By the time the bell rang, I was so engrossed in my non-flirting with Sookie that I completely forgot I needed to hustle to football practice.

"Hey, Sookie," that was the first time I'd used her name since she told me I could, "I have to get to practice, otherwise Coach'll make me run 'suicide drills'."

"No problem, Eric. I'll finish putting away the utensils. Tomorrow, we'll get started on beef stroganoff. It should be easy enough for your first entrée. See you in class tomorrow." I almost forgot about practice as I stared at her beautiful smile and the bounce of her golden curls.

* * *

The next two weeks involved Miss Stackhouse and me in my home ec. class, teacher and student.

At the end of each day, though, it was, Sookie and Eric, and "follow the leader."

I didn't mind though. Every day, I learned a little more about Sookie. While we cooked together, she told me more about growing up with her Gran and Jason. Her parents were killed in a car accident when she was little.

She took the job here in Shreveport, away from the small town she grew up in (still not sure where), because her Gran needed to go into a nursing home here. Sookie, as owner of the old farmhouse, is renting the house and living in an apartment nearby.

Gran broke her hip on the first day Sookie was at school this year, so, she went to help take care of her for three weeks. Apparently, Sookie didn't trust that the trained nurses would do as good a job at taking care of her Gran as she could.

The subtle flirting continued. It was probably wrong, but she didn't feel like a teacher anymore. Plus, she wasn't that much older than me.

This was her second year teaching. She said that her 24th birthday was in July. That would only make her five years older than me.

After revealing her birth date and age, she asked, "So, how is it that you're 19 and still in high school? Your file doesn't indicate that you had to repeat a grade here."

"Why Miss Stackhouse, have you been checking up on me?" _She was so easy to tease, not to mention the incredibly sexy color she turned when embarrassed._ "No, I haven't failed a grade, yet (her class was my closest attempt at failing). When I was in kindergarten, my parents moved us a couple times. By the time we were settled, I hadn't had enough kindergarten "experience" or whatever, so they re-enrolled me and I got two years instead of one."

* * *

It was the first day of October, I was finishing up a typical practice. Coach Herveaux was doing double duty. Coach Stackhouse was gone, so the defensive coordinator was standing in.

After showering and changing, I was about to take off when I remembered I left my backpack in the Home Ec. room.

_Hmm… Sookie usually stays late, I bet I could catch her in there._

I jogged the length of the empty parking lot, towards the dark school. Sure enough, there was a light on in the 'extra's building.

I practically skipped through the door. I dropped and my eyes went wide when I took in the scene before me.

Sookie was on a stool, slumped over the table with her face in her hands. She was still in the white sundress with cap sleeves from earlier, but her hair looked like it had been pulled and shoved out of the way.

By the shake of her shoulders, I could tell she was quietly sobbing.

I was by her in a flash, arm around her shoulders. "Sook," _hey if "Ames" can call her that, then so can I_, "What's wrong?"

She twisted on her stool and immediately wrapped her arms around my waist. With her face buried into my chest, I could barely make out what she was saying, "M-my… Gran…. Sh-sh-she's dead."

_Shit!_

Just from the short time I knew Sookie, I could tell that her Gran meant the world to her.

I nuzzled my face into her hair, "I'm so sorry, Sookie. So sorry." I held her as tight as I could without crushing her.

The gentle nudging of her head tilting made me pull back fractionally and look at her. The deep blue of her eyes flooded my senses with her vulnerability.

"Eric…"

We were on each other instantly. She gripped my waist tightly, while my hands cupped her face to pull her into the deepest kiss of my life.

The urgency of our groping led to me grabbing her ass and setting her on the countertop. Delicate fingers threaded into my, now tangled hair, she tugged on it.

"Fuck!" My growl died on her neck as I bit and licked my way to her collarbone.

Roughly pulling her center to my strained erection, her flimsy cotton panties and my nylon pants allowed the heat emanating from her to sink into me.

I kept her firmly attached to me with my left hand, my right pushed its way up her side. I unbuttoned the front of her dress as quickly as I could.

Her white lace bra, almost virginal, was too much stimulation for my eyes. I lunged for her nipple, the rough lace felt fantastic on my tongue.

"Ungh, Eric!" She arched into my mouth and started rocking her hips against my groin.

Her hands released my hair (_ouch!_) and tugged on my shirt collar. I got the hint and yanked it over my head. Sookie's eyes darkened, probably matching  
my own.

She leaned towards me, biting and sucking on my chest as her hands made their way to my cock-confining pants. I took her momentary distraction to slide my hands up her trembling thighs towards her lace-covered sanctuary.

When my fingers grazed the edge of her panties, Sookie bit my nipple.

"Yesss," it came out more as an animalistic hiss than a word.

Overcome with lust, I slipped my right hand under the band of elastic on her panties and ripped!

She gasped, recovered, and shoved my pants (_no underwear!_) down past my butt- which she groped shamelessly.

My fingers teased her lips open and flicked her nub a few times. When she started humping my fingers, I knew she was ready.

Sookie wrapped her fingers around my dick. Pulling up slowly and yanking down quickly, I was ready to bust in her hand. She firmly pulled me between her  
legs.

"Awww…" a heavy sigh escaped my lips as my tip brushed against her moist lips.

I touched her chin, lifted it to bring her eyes in line with mine. "Please," she whimpered out while gently tugging on me.

_At least she was polite about it._

My eyes held her in place as I slowly pushed into her smooth cavern. I went deeper and she leaned back slowly, pulling on my shoulders to bring me down over her.

I pulled back gently, watching her forehead crinkle in disproval. I smiled at her impatience and dipped my face to kiss her slowly.

Just as my tip was about to slip out, I slammed back in with a vengeance.

"Eric! Fuck!" Her nails sank into my shoulders and I started pumping in furiously. I kept my eyes on hers, I didn't want to break the bubble we had created.

She felt incredible. I wasn't a man-whore, but I've sampled my fair share of partners. Sookie was, by far, the best. She was innocent but feisty. Sweet and spicy. A constant paradox.

"Eric, please… I'm close…" the desperation in her voice pulled me out of my trance. I pumped in a little harder each time. Just barely shifting my back away, she cried out as I stroked her sweet spot with each thrust.

"Shit, Sookie… cum for me… now!" The moment I said the words, her legs tightened around my waist and her pussy clenched around me yanking my own orgasm out of me.

We shouted each other's names simultaneously as we shuddered together. I kept moving in her until her entire body relaxed. I gathered her up against my chest and sat back on the stool behind me.

Her ragged breathing started evening out.

_It was amazing._

_I've never cum like that- ever!_

As I started rubbing her back to keep her warm, she stiffened and pulled back.

"Oh. My. God." She barely whispered the words, but the slam to my gut was the same.

She nearly jumped off my lap and scurried around the room. If I wasn't so shocked, I would have been laughing at her frantic movements.

"Oh my God! Eric! You're a… and I'm a… oh, shit! I can't believe we just… Damn it, stop looking at me." My eyes dropped to my slowly sagging penis. _Time to go to bed, boy_. I stood and tucked him back in my pants, found my shirt and was clothed in about thirty seconds.

"What's the matter?" I stepped towards her and she backed away immediately. "I like you, and I'm pretty sure, you like me." She rolled her eyes and huffed at the same time.

"Eric… this can never, EVER, happen again. I'm so sorry I took advantage of you. You're my student, this can't happen. I could lose my job, you could be labeled as a liability and lose your chance at a scholarship (_wow! She really had done her research on me._). I was just upset by my… oh god, Gran!" A new wave of tears spilled out and she wrapped her arms around herself as she slid to the floor.

I leaned down to help her up, "No! You can't touch me. I'm sorry." She straightened up, not looking at me. Strode across the room and grabbed her purse.

Eyes on the ground, she took in a deep breath to steady herself, "I'll be gone for the next few days, possibly a week. You need to go to study hall during our independent study time." With that, she was out the door.

_Fuck!_

_What the hell was that?!_

_Wait a minute…_

I started frantically patting down my body as my eyes scanned the room. I already knew the answer to my unspoken (and un-thought-of) question.

_I hadn't used a condom!_

_Shit!_

* * *

A/N- Uh-oh! What's gonna happen? I already know, but you can guess ;o) So, let me know what you thought. 

Up next… Sookie's point of view!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

SPOV

_What the fuck was wrong with me!_

I slumped down into my old, beat-up, blue Escort and slammed the door, jamming the key into the ignition.

_I couldn't believe I'd just had sex with Eric!_

_With a student!_

The engine finally kicked over after my third attempt.

_Oh my God, my career was over._

_This was it._

_I was done._

I was not really surprised it was with Eric. He's had me off kilter since the day I walked into my class and saw him sitting next to the pile of muscle and _Funions_ that is Quinn.

_OK, I know I should try to like all my students, but that Quinn just rubs me the wrong way. Especially the fact that he thought he was soooo subtle about the way he ogled my ass. Dork!_

Never had I been attracted to a student. Sure, some of them were cute, but I'd never wanted to be physical with any of them… that was, until Eric.

I couldn't help the little things that would slip my lips when I talked to him. It didn't matter what we were talking about.

Apparently, when I was within five feet of him, I couldn't filter all the dirty things from my mind.

When I first met him, I assumed he was just a dumb jock. _Typical football player taking a cooking class- easy grade, right? _

That first week with Eric in class, though, was hilarious. He tried so hard but kept making little mistakes.

_Definitely a perfectionist._

It frustrated him to no end that Quinn had an easier time of it than he did.

_Quinn should._

_This is like his fourth semester in my class- perv!_

I knew it was probably a bad idea to set up an independent study time with Eric, but, call it what you will, I couldn't help myself.

Plus, I've never turned down a student that needed extra help.

I made it to my shoebox apartment within five minutes. It was a studio as close to the school and the nursing home as I could get.

_The nursing home…_

_Gran…_

I couldn't believe she was gone.

I got the call right after my session with Eric.

I was prepping the stations for tomorrow's first class when the call came in.

Gran had had a heart attack and passed instantly.

I fell to the ground of my classroom as the words sank in.

_She was gone!_

_I'd never see her again._

I may have thanked the director of the nursing home for calling me, I wasn't sure. He explained that everything was set up and we could have the funeral in two days.

I would have to meet him at the mortuary tomorrow to make final decisions on a few odds-and-ends.

Then came the hard part.

Telling Jason.

I rushed to his office just before practice. Taking in my appearance, he knew before the words were out of my mouth. Jason stood so fast, his chair fell backwards.

"Fuck!" He muttered under his breath. "I gotta go. Alcide can cover for me." Jason couldn't deal with emotional situations. He would shut down.

Alcide stepped into the office about a minute later. "Sook, I'm so sorry. How are you holding up?" Huge arms wrapped around me and I gripped his shoulders for fear I'd collapse again.

"Alcide…she was all we had left." His large hands cupped my face and his thumbs swept over my tears. "I don't know if I can do this. I don't think I can keep going."

He dipped his head so we were eye to eye. "Sweetheart, you _can_ do this. You're the strongest woman I know… I realize we haven't spent as much time together lately as we used to, but… you have me and Jason. You know I love you."

_Oh Al, you_ always_ had to bring that up, didn't you._

Alcide and I were together for about three years, up until two years ago. Long story short, he told me he loved me, I didn't feel the same way so I broke up with him.

He was never pushy about getting back together, but he made it clear that, if I ever changed my mind, he'd be by my side in an instant.

"I know Al, thanks." I kissed his cheek, hugging him tightly and walked back to my classroom.

There was nothing for me to do, but I really didn't want to go home. I couldn't stand to look at all the pictures of Gran and us, all the knick-knacks that belonged to her scattered through my apartment.

So, I sat there in the middle of my classroom. Head in hands, for at least two hours.

I didn't even hear Eric come in. I just felt him by my side. Everything was gone at that moment, it was just me and my grief.

When I felt his arms hold me so securely, it was like a switch was flipped. My grief seemed to be turned off; not gone, but off.

Numb.

That's when I made a split second decision (which I later regretted with all my soul). I just went for it.

Drowning my sorrow with pleasure seemed like a good idea at the time.

Eric was so much better than I thought he'd be.

_Don't get me wrong, I thought he'd be great._

_He always was in my fantasies._

_I just didn't expect him to be mind-blowing… I mean, he's 19 for goodness sake!_

_Practice!_

_That'd be the only way he got this good._

Those were my last thoughts as Eric sucked my pert nipple into his hot mouth.

It was such an intense experience.

If I compared the best of my past encounters to this one, they were a 6.0 on the Richter scale, while this one needed an entirely new scale to measure it.

He looked so shocked when I jumped away from him.

_What had he expected?_

_He was my student, for crying out loud!_

_I was so frickin' stupid!_

_He was just a kid!_

I parked the car in front of my building and just sat there.

_Gran was dead._

_I just had sex with a student._

_Oh._

_My._

_God!_

__

He didn't use a condom!

__

Shit!

__

OK, deep breath. I was on the pill.

I could only pray that Eric was clean.

I had been tested when Al and I split. I wasn't concerned; just wanted a clean slate.

My forehead smacked against my steering wheel with a thud.

_Ouch!_

* * *

My next few days flew by in a blur. Gran looked beautiful in her blue, cotton, Easter dress. We purchased it together last year during an all day shopping excursion.

It was becoming slightly easier to think about things that made me smile about Gran. I was still crying about three-quarters of the day, but I kept it together enough to get done what needed to be done.

Jason was very stoic.

He just sat there during the wake and again during the service. I was worried.

He was all I had left.

Despite what Al said, Jason was my last link to my parents.

"Jase."

I sat down next to him after most of the people cleared from the social hall of the church. He leaned his head on my shoulder as my arm wrapped around him.

"She's gone." He could've replaced 'she's' with 'they're' and it'd be a replay of how he sounded 18 years ago.

We sat there for a couple hours. Occasionally, we'd swap stories of Gran, mostly funny ones. We cried together a couple times, but mostly just sat, leaning on each other.

This is how it would be from now on.

Just me and Jase.

* * *

The first couple days back at school, Eric tried to get my attention.

He kept asking me how I was doing. Trying to corner me during home Ec. He even waited by my car after practice.

Two days in a row.

The independent studies were the worst.

He wouldn't stop asking about my reaction to our 'encounter' the other night.

'_Encounter' was what I wanted to call it. It was more clinical than fan-fucking-tastic sex._

Finally, after the third day of ignoring his comments and questions, he grabbed my waist with both hands and looked me deep in the eyes, "Sook, talk to me. It's killing me to see you act like what happened the other night didn't happen."

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, "All I need to know is if you're clean or not." My voice was cold and even.

If I didn't keep it that way, I'd break down again.

His face fell, not even trying to hide the disappointment. Stepping back, he released my waist like his fingers were on fire.

"Yeah. I'm clean. And you? Are you clean? What about the pill?" His hard voice was a clear retaliation to my tone.

_Good._

_Anger is much safer than lust._

"Yes, I'm on the pill and I'm clean." My voice was equal parts relieved and defeated.

_Nothing will change the fact that I crossed a sacred line_- and_ on the night my grandmother passed away. _

_Ugh!_

_Who does that!_

I started wiping down the counters. His latest attempts at cooking were fairing much better than his first.

"Are you going to ignore what happened between us? _Just_ because I'm your student?" My glare let him know that I was done talking about this.

"That's BULLSHIT!"

My flinch at his tone could've been seen a mile away. "Frankly, I don't give a damn what the school thinks- or you! I haven't been able to stop thinking about you for the past month. What we did was amazing. _Fucking hot! _If you want to put a relationship with me on the back burner because you're still dealing with your grief, that's fine." His voice softened at the last part, "but, if you don't want to see where this could go just because _Dr. LeClerq_ won't like it, then I refuse to accept that."

"Eric…" _God, how do I get him to understand this? _

We had talked, at length, during our one on one times about our futures (separate futures) before our 'incident'_. _

_How could I let him risk his dreams for a relationship that would probably end in a few months anyway?_

"I thought you said you wanted to become a mechanical engineer?" My voice seemed to jar his anger a bit.

"What happens if it were to get out, that you'd had an affair with a teacher? You'd lose any chance you had at getting a scholarship. A university is not going to give money to a student who may or may not accuse a professor of indecent conduct."

"What if it wasn't an affair?" The passion evident in his voice was startling, I needed to stop him before he convinced me otherwise. "Wait, before you reject the idea, just think about it. Have you ever felt, with someone else, the way you felt with me the other night?" His eyes were begging me to reconsider. I nearly took the bait.

"No. I'm sorry, Eric. I can't do it." Eyes blinking quickly, he pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at the ceiling.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. His expression shifted and relaxed as though he'd come to a decision.

"Friends?"

_Huh?_

"Could we at least be friends? I'm not talking about the teacher's pet kind, but the movie watching, hanging out, dinner having friends."

"That sounds an awful lot like dating." His offer sounded really good, but, again, we're treading a fine line. I _am_ still his teacher, at least for a few more months.

"No, it wouldn't be dating, just two friends getting to know each other." Eric's eyes were so full of hope. I looked down and finally realized he had been holding my hand.

His touch felt so natural, so right.

This had disaster written all over it.

"Eric…please, just let it be. I can't have any sort of relationship with you, other than teacher-student." I tried to pull my hand from his but he wouldn't budge.

Getting a bit irritated, I glared at him. "Let go!"

His finely sculpted jaw set in place. "No."

"What do you mean, _no_? Do I have to call security?"

"No, I mean I don't accept us _not_ being friends." He was on the verge of sounding petulant.

"What's there to accept? I. Said. No. Besides _that_, it's inappropriate for a teacher and a student to be friends outside of school." _Big words are my friend, they'd help me out of this. Yeah… just keep telling yourself that._

Eric leaned down so we were nearly cheek-to-cheek. His shoulder length hair brushed my collarbone.

"Inappropriate like my dick pumping in and out of you until you screamed my name and came all over me." His voice was so low and quiet, I felt the vibrations all the way down to my toes.

_Fuck this!_

_I didn't have to take this!_

_He was a student!_

With my free hand, I jammed my index finger into the middle of his unyielding chest. "Where do you get off talking to me like that?"

The blood draining from his face at my outburst was wholly satisfying.

"First of all, I am your teacher! Dammit! Secondly, I am a lady, and you will not talk to me that way!" _Even _if_ it soaked my panties as you did_! "Third… if you really think _that's_ the way to get me to be your friend- you are wayyyy off the mark." In his momentary distraction, I snatched my hand back and turned away from him to continue cleaning the kitchens.

"Sookie?" His quiet voice made him sound much younger than he already was (_God! He was a child- what was wrong with me?_).

"Sookie, please look at me." I couldn't stand the desperation in his voice and looked into eyes that were wide and begging for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, that was in really poor taste…but… I'm desperate here. I've never felt like I couldn't go a day without seeing someone. The last few days just about killed me- I'm not blaming you for that feeling, I just thought you should know that this is not a normal occurrence for me." Eric slumped down into a stool, his lean legs hung to either side.

"If all I can get from you is your friendship, kindness and acceptance, then I'm _praying_ you'll let me have that much. Please, Sookie. I… I _need_ this." I strained to hear the last few words.

I wasn't heartless, his pleas were really heart wrenching and I was starting to enjoy his company.

Especially now that I didn't have my best friend to talk to anymore. I needed the companionship.

Looking down, I quietly spoke the words that I'd probably regret most in life.

"I'll think about it."

"Really?" He was practically jumping up and down.

"I said _think_, Eric. I'm _not_ saying I'll agree to it. There are so many reasons why we shouldn't start any kind of relationship."

Eric nodded, trying to hide his excitement. This "badass" was such a big softy. It was truly endearing to see him this way.

The bell jolted us out of our stare down.

"OK, well, _pal_, I gotta get going to practice. Here," he jotted down some numbers on a piece of paper towel, "that's my cell. If you want to talk to me, I'll be waiting." He slipped the piece into my hand and started walking away.

"Wait," when he turned, I could tell he was nervous. Eric was so afraid I'd turn him down right out of the gate. "Do you have a game Friday night?"

His expression quickly morphed into a giant, shit-eating grin. "Yeah, it'll be done by like 10. Why?"

"Just wondering." He raised an eyebrow before giving me a slight wave as he passed through the doorway.

I finished packing up our materials and prepped for tomorrow's classes.

* * *

**EPOV**

_Yep… I'm a fucking girl!_

"Northman! Get your head outta your ass and… I don't know, maybe block the ball a little!" Coach Stackhouse's sarcasm was a slap to my face that broke my daydreaming.

_Yeah, I said daydreaming._

_I've been useless ever since I met Sookie._

Each daydream ends with a replay of the kitchen incident, minus the freak-out.

Unfortunately, I was getting my ass handed to me during practice and I could feel Coach's eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.

_Plus, having an erection inside your 'cup' is pretty, damn uncomfortable._

After we were told to "prance our lazy asses to the showers", Coach Stackhouse threw an arm in front of my chest to stop me.

I'd always liked Coach. He was tough, but also had a fun side. The team, organized by Coach Stackhouse, once tee-peed Dr. LeClerq's BMW with Gatorade drenched toilet paper… in August.

The heat dried the Gatorade, almost on contact. She had, what looked like, a green, paper-machete'd sedan.

I would always feel comfortable talking to him about my latest Fuck-buddies (_he had plenty of his own,)_ but this time, it was his sister.

_Didn't think that'd go over too well._

_Besides that, Sookie was so much more than a quick-fuck._

A swift smack to the back of my head (_by a man 4 inches shorter than myself, no less_) was my wake-up call.

"What the hell's with you Northman? Your head is stuck somewhere and it ain't in the game." His arm draped my shoulders and he leaned in conspiratorially. "When was the last time you got laid? You can' t let that shit go untended. I watched something on the discovery channel about how a lack of sex can reduce the blood flow in your body 'er somethin', and that can't be good."

The look on his face was that of pure terror.

_What a genius!_

_Oh, well, he was a decent coach._

_And, thank God he didn't rely on his wit to get chicks._

"Anyways, get some. Maybe that'll clear your head some. Besides, Felicia and Debbie are constantly hangin' all over you… not like you have to work much for it." He grinned, all his teeth showing, slapped me on the back and headed to the locker rooms.

_Yeah…sure Coach… I'll get right on that._

_Yeah, right!_

Those skanks were always hovering, looking for fresh meat.

Nothing like the bombshell I've been dreaming about for a few weeks now.

_God! Just thinking about her is making my jock strap tight._

* * *

Stepping out of the locker room, dry and smelling fresh, I looked around the empty parking lot and spotted my "in progress" '73 corvette. I was still working on the body, smoothing out the finish to be ready for paint.

The engine purred to life the moment I turned the key.

I loved working on machines, engines especially. That was exactly why I wanted to be an engineer.

An odd sensation ran up my thigh. It took me a moment to realize it was my phone. I plucked it from my pocket and pressed the 'answer' button.

The number was listed "unknown".

"Hello?"

"Hey." _Fuck, yes!_

"Hey, I'm glad you called." _You have no idea._

"If you're not doing anything Friday night, after the game,… come over to my place?" The sweet voice on the other end was so hesitant, I wanted to jump through the phone and throw my arms around her.

"Absolutely!"

* * *

**A/N**-I'm an awful person, making y'all wait so long. I humbly beg your forgiveness for my tardiness *puppy-dog eyes*. OK, enough sap! RL sucks when there are 30 things going on at once. I also had a lot more I wanted to do in this chapter, but, I didn't want you to have to wait even longer for me to get it outta my head and into the computer. Have no fear- school is out in a week and a half and I will have all summer to devote to my stories- YAY!

Thanks go out to **lovingvikingeric** for being my eagle eyes on this one. She's helping me to sort through the mess that is my brain ;o)

Thanks for reading! :o) 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N- Hey there *looks down shyly*, long time no see... sorry *puppy dog eyes*. I know, I'm a horrible person, but I do have a good side and that good side has chapter 5 in the can and 6 is well on its way to being done- so, yay!

A big hug to LovingVikingEric for being my beta and checking this bad boy out! A high five to my "research consultant", Sick-of-dreams, for familiarizing me with the Southern Natives and their unique customs, lol ;o)

BIG SMOOCHES to all my reviewers and readers... I just love the stuffin' out of y'all!

If you're interested, I have created a photo album with my picks for the cast and miscelaneous photos. Also ** there is a preview to the next chapter with a couple photos.

http: / picasaweb . / 115482632952247218208/CastingForRedLetterDay?feat=content_notification#

You know the drill, just take out the spaces... or there's a link from my profile.

Disclaimer- Charlaine Harris is the creator! I am simply a minion, doing things behind her back

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4

**EPOV**

I was barely conscious of the football game going on around me.

I couldn't stop thinking about Sookie and our "quality-friend-time" planned for later tonight.

She had to qualify our relationship with rules and conditions.

"No contact other than a friendly handshake." Her penetrating blue eyes shone determined.

"Ok… but, what if you're having a really bad day and you need a hug… or… say you fall in the shower and break your leg and I have to be the one to carry you to the hospital?" _I was totally picturing a soaking wet Sookie begging me to carry her. Oh yeah, that would keep me up for a few hours this evening._

"Eric?"

"Hmm?" I hadn't realized I was staring at her breasts until she spoke. My eyes slowly broke from their careful examination of Sookie's assets to take in her _mostly_ unamused expression (_I said 'mostly' because she had a bit of a smile in her eyes that she just couldn't hide_).

"Why on earth would you be in my apartment when I was showering?" I felt like Pavlov's dog, because every time I heard the word "shower" (even after that conversation); I pictured Sookie naked and waiting.

'_Hard' didn't even come close to my near constant state of being. Petrified…much closer. _

_So much so, that every time that word was uttered….Shit! I didn't even think it _could_ get bigger, but, damn if it didn't try! _

The truly embarrassing moments were when Coach told us to hit the showers or when…God help me, my mom had asked me if I'd used the shower already.

_Ugh!_

_Nobody wanted a boner when their mom was talking to them._

I think I was able to will it away a little more easily that time.

After Sookie's miraculous phone call two nights ago, we talked during my independent study time about what we could do on Friday night.

She made it very clear that she simply needed a friend. With Gran dying, Sookie was left with few people she could truly confide in. Luckily, I made the cut.

For some reason, she said she felt that we'd make good friends if we could get passed the sexual tension.

_What tension? _

_I don't know what you're talking about._

The smell of spicy, boiled peanuts and bar-be-que wafted through the air and pulled me out of my fantasies for this evening's activities. _Damn! I was getting __a little hungry. Better pick up some food on the way to Sookie's._

_Thoughtful _and_ practical._

_That oughta earn me a few bonus points…_

* * *

After brushing off Felicia and Debbie from the hood of my car (_thank God I hadn't finished the paint job already_), I was headed in the direction of my Valhalla.

Felicia and Debbie are the "Queen Bees". They come from 'old money' and wear designer everything.

They took pity on me, during my freshman year, because my parents couldn't afford to buy me everything and anything I wanted. Though it could have also had something to do with the fact that I'm not all that bad to look at- _and I know it_.

I dated both girls for a short time each. It was fun, just not very… satisfying.

The girls were incredibly self-centered and utterly devoted to the "scene". Everyone bowed to them and their clique- _ugh! Wasn't gonna happen._

I may have had a hand up in popularity based on their status, but that does not mean I'd sacrifice myself for their world.

Ok…

Smelling fresh and lookin' good (_as always_)…

Bag of pulled pork sandwiches, chicken wings and fried catfish tucked next to me in my baby.

I pulled up to the apartment complex at 10:30. The white, three story building was extremely unimpressive and possibly in the process of being coined "run-down."

_She moved here to be closer to her Gran; did that mean she would move back to the farmhouse now that Gran was gone?_

_Fuck! That was way too heavy to think about on a night like this. _

Practically skipping up the steps, through the door (with a broken lock, might I add), I made my way to Sookie's door.

Moments after knocking and shifting around on my feet like a little girl that had to pee, Sookie opened the door.

_Damn!_

_Did she always have to be so hot?_

Sookie's face broke into a warm smile and it gave me a moment to take in her just-tight-enough wife beater and cut off shorts, finished off with bare feet.

Well, so much for the "_friendly_" thoughts.

_She'd be lucky if I didn't throw her on the floor and fuck her till the sun came up._

_Ok, calm down, there's no "athletic supporter" to hide my excitement now._

"Well? Is that to share or are you just teasing me?" _She couldn't mean… could she? Oh, I'd definitely share… OH! She meant the food… oops!_

"Uh… yeah, sorry. I was starving after the game and I figured you might be hungry… Not that I think you eat all the time or anything, but… I mean… you know, everybody gets hungry… and I always get hungry late at night, but… um…." By the concealed smirk creeping across Sookie's face, I knew she could tell I was rambling.

_God! I was such a girl!_

"Hey, no worries. You're a lifesaver, I. Am. Starved!" As she said that she pulled me in with one hand on my arm, the other snatched the bag from my hand and kicked the door closed behind us.

_Hmm… aggressive when she was hungry… good to know_.

"OOOH!"

_Shit!_

I jumped about a foot when she squealed.

"Fried Catfish and pulled pork! My faves!"

Sookie dug into the bags quickly and handed me a paper plate and plastic fork I hadn't seen her retrieve.

Being the first time I had ever been in her apartment, I followed her lead, sat on the loveseat, and set my food on the coffee table.

It wasn't a horrible living condition, just… small.

From where I was sitting, I could see her kitchen, dining room, a door to the bathroom and her bed… _definitely a new scene for the fantasies._

"So… what do you think?" Sookie self-consciously asked after scarfing down an entire, pulled pork sandwich in under a minute.

"It's nice. I really like all the knick-knacks and pictures." _Way to sound gay, Northman!_ I hung my head a little, avoiding her gaze and the instant realization that I'd turned my cock in for a vagina.

"Thanks," her voice sounded off, quiet. I looked over at her. Her forkful of catfish hovered over the plate, "most of these were my Gran's things from the farmhouse." The blonde curtain that covered most of her neck came short of her chin that was beginning to tremor.

I quickly set my plate down and wrapped an arm around Sookie's shoulders, pulling her closer to me. Thankfully, she didn't flinch.

"Hey, it's ok to remember her. And, it's ok to feel sad. You're gonna miss her a hell of a lot. You wouldn't be a decent person if you didn't." I squeezed her tightly as I felt her nod slightly.

"There's this gaping hole inside of me. I can't ever imagine it being filled again. I'm terrified that I'll never feel whole again."

"Sook, your Gran meant so much to you, it makes sense that you would feel like you're missing part of yourself. No one expects you to fill the hole, and I don't think you ever will." Terrified blue eyes, brimming with tears lock onto mine, "But that doesn't mean you'll never feel at peace. That hole you feel is like a place-marker for your Gran. It'll be there to remind you of how much she means to you. It's really a testament to how great of a job she did raising you and Jason."

Sapphire eyes crinkled at the corners in response to the weepy smile covering her face.

"Why, Northman, I didn't realize you were such a philosopher."

"Well, you know, we can't ruin my reputation. My teachers might actually expect me to learn something." Sookie's smile turned from weepy to amused… mission accomplished.

"Hey, are you gonna finish that?" My hands started reaching for her half-eaten catfish only to be smacked away and nearly gouged by plastic cutlery.

"Not on your life, buddy! This is mine!" If I wasn't sure she was joking around (mostly), I would have been a little worried.

I released her shoulders and leaned back against the arm of the loveseat with my plate now resting on my legs.

We finished our meals and continued talking about things we usually discussed during the independent study time. Sookie would regale me with tales from her childhood. Her memories of Gran didn't seem to depress her as much as the night wore on.

I explained about getting the chicken pox at the age of 15. My sister, Pam, was 20 at the time. She had never had them. I didn't leave her alone the entire time she was home from college. By the time she went back to school, she had the complexion of a Dalmatian and the temperament of a Doberman.

"Wait. You gave her the chicken pox? I thought she had some weird food poisoning. That's what she was telling everyone at the dorm." Sookie was giggling hysterically.

Pam and Sookie had been acquaintances in college but hadn't remained in touch after graduation. Sookie was too focused on taking care of Gran.

I would need to hit Pam up for some information on what Sookie was like in college, inconspicuously, of course.

The rest of the evening was spent talking and lounging on the loveseat. Sookie brought out a few photo albums to show her family and herself throughout different points in her life.

Around 12:45, Sookie's mouth dropped open into a wide yawn and I took that as my cue to exit. Standing up and walking towards the door, I turned just before I opened it.

She stood in front of me, looking up into my eyes with an unreadable expression. "Hey, thanks for letting me hang out with you. This was a lot of fun." _I wasn't sure how we were supposed to part ways, hug, handshake, would she let me bend her backwards with an award-winning kiss? _

_Hmm… probably not._

Sookie took the initiative and wrapped her arms around my neck and laid her head against my chest. I couldn't help but pull her body as close to mine as humanly possible.

"Eric, thank you so much. I never realized how much I relied on Gran until I didn't have her. You're not a replacement but an extremely good listener."

And suddenly, I couldn't believe what was happening. She was pulling me down and about to kiss me.

_Holy crap and Halleluiah!_

She turned her head at the last moment and left a friendly peck on my cheek. _Damn! So close._

I may have hovered in that spot a moment or too longer than necessary, and I may have had my eyes closed- _what a pussy!_

"So, I'll call ya tomorrow?" She nodded and had a giddy smile plastered to her face. "See ya later Sook."

Thirty seconds later, I was in my car, forehead imbedded in the steering wheel.

_Ok, I could do this._

_This was a lovely, friendly evening._

_Yes, I still _wanted_ to jump her every ten seconds- but I didn't! That had to count for something, right?_

* * *

We made plans to talk on the phone as frequently as possible, which just so happened to be nearly every night before bed.

Other than practice and homework, I pretty much stuck close to home.

Sookie didn't have the money to go out and party like some of the other young teachers, though she did hang out with Amelia occasionally.

She also told me that, although Amelia was a great friend, she didn't feel like she could confide in her all the time. That's where I came in.

We agreed that we would try to hang out every Friday after the game.

Over the next few weeks, our friendship progressed nicely. Sookie was even coming to a few of the games, you know, to show "school spirit."

I was actually getting better in Home Ec. Maybe I was starting to take more of an interest in the subject or Sookie is a freakin' miracle worker, but, whatever it was, I was getting a 93%, just barely an A.

In school, but outside of my independent study time, Sookie,… I mean, Miss Stackhouse and I were the typical teacher and student. A small nod and smile were the extent of our interactions.

No one was the wiser.

There was the occasional "difference of opinion".

One Friday, after a particularly stellar win over Bon Temps public, Felicia and Debbie swarmed me before I got off the field. It was the first game Sookie came to watch.

The girls were groping at me and practically giving me a hand-job through my uniform before I could pull them off. I managed to make it to the locker room only slightly manhandled.

When I got to Sookie's that night, we were going to watch a movie but she was acting as though she had already gotten ready for bed.

_"Hey, I thought we were gonna watch Scarlet Letter (one of Sookie's favorites) tonight?" I didn't even hide the fact that I was pouting._

_She cocked her hip to the side and planted her hand firmly on the bone, "Oh, well, you know… I just assumed you were out with your girlfriends tonight and wouldn't have time for a movie."_

_Jealous? Maybe._

"_You know I'm not seeing anybody right now. Felicia and Debbie are always like that. Besides, I thought we were just 'friends'?" Please tell me I'm wrong…please._

"_You're right. We are _just_ friends. So, if you wanted to go party with them, that's fine. I'm pretty tired anyway. Why don't we just call it a night?" I wasn't going to say anything, but she did look worn out._

"_I tell ya what… we'll put the movie in, and if you fall asleep, I'll cover you up and take off. How 'bout that?" I would have been on my hands and knees if I thought begging like a pussy would've worked._

So, that was the first incident.

I honestly couldn't tell if she was jealous, tired, or getting bored with me. I was praying like Hell it was the first one.

I could totally work with jealousy.

The second 'misunderstanding' occurred during the school day.

It was last Thursday, when I walked into class for my independent study time. I was a few minutes early, but Sookie never seemed to mind.

_Giggling halted my movement before I entered the class. I stood in the slightly darkened hallway and observed the scene before me._

"_Al, knock it off. S-s-stop…I have to get ready for my next student." Laughter erupted as Coach Herveaux groped Sookie._

_Ok, maybe he wasn't _groping_, but tickling should not look that indecent!_

"_Oh, c'mon Sook. I haven't seen you smile this much in a while. C'mon, one kiss and I'll stop. Please…" _

_What? _

_Kiss? _

_No freakin' way, she better not kiss him! _

_This cannot be happening!_

"_Extortion. So that's your game, huh?" Good girl, don't let him talk you into that nonsense. _

_Unfortunately, when I peeked into the room, Sookie was smiling up at Coach Herveaux. She stretched onto her tiptoes and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Wrapping her hands around his neck she sighed, "Oh Al, what would I do without you?"_

"_You know you love me. Just like I love you." I had never heard Coach Herveaux speak with so much emotion in his voice. And frankly… it made me want to vomit._

"_Alright, you need to get a move on. My next student should be here any minute and you have a PE class, if I'm not mistaken." Sookie's 'all-business' voice left no room for negotiation. I should know, I've been on the receiving end of it several times._

"_Yeah, yeah. So, I'll see ya at Jason's on Sunday night for dinner?"_

"_Yep, I'll be there. I'm bringing a pecan pie."_

_He passed me on his way out the door. "Hey Eric, have fun cookin', you got a great teacher in there." What the hell was that wink supposed to mean? Pervert!_

_Walking into the room, Sookie was 'business-as-usual' and did not seem like someone who was just being accosted by a six-foot something gorilla._

"_Hey. You ready?" Her smooth voice broke some of the tension building in my fists._

"_Yeah. I'm ready." Ready to kick the shit out of that poor excuse for a coach/role model._

After asking Sookie about why Coach Herveaux and her seemed all cozy, she just said that they'd been friends a long time and she was having a tough day.

Her Gran's headstone had just been finished and placed at the gravesite. Sookie was feeling a little reluctant about seeing it for the first time. I offered to take her that night, but she said she needed to do this alone, and I respected that.

* * *

We still had the flirtatious touches here and there and the subtle innuendos within our conversations, but those seemed to be the minor details in our relationship. Learning about Sookie's likes and dislikes and sharing my childhood with her was what filled most of our conversations.

Even if we weren't talking, I didn't feel a need to fill the silence. Last Friday, after my, now customary, take-out had been devoured, we walked around her neighborhood, making sure to stay away from the streetlights. It was comfortable enough that she threw her arm around my waist and I pulled her to me by her shoulders as we passed the houses along the block.

If this was what a 'friendship' entailed, I could totally get used to it.

Another Friday night, and I was lying across Sookie's loveseat, legs dangling off the end, not really watching the tv but listening to Sookie fry up some fish for a couple po'boys.

Her sweet voice broke my trance, "Hey, are you going to the Halloween dance tomorrow?"

"Yeah, the football team decided to go as a group. Someone decided that we should go as "Warriors throughout history", don't ask me who. So we drew costume choices from a hat, I got 'Viking'."

I hopped up as her ass sashayed into view with a couple plates. She set them down in front of us and plopped down next to me.

"Well… at least you've got the hair for it right?" She grinned at me and threw a wink in my direction.

"Could be worse, I guess. I coulda been Quinn and got 'Pre-historic Man'. Although, maybe it's worse for us, he said he'd wear a loin cloth and carry a club." Her shudder had me snickering.

We had taken to making little jabs here and there about Quinn. I knew Sookie wouldn't normally dis on one of her students, but Quinn went above and beyond. She vented to me a few times about how he'd "slip" and grab certain places on her body (_places that only I should touch… just sayin'_).

_Of course, after finding this out, Quinn had an unusual accident with the counter and his face. Swear to the Almighty, that boy just had a tendency to "slip."_

"Eww, remind me to go as a pirate so at least one of my eyes will be spared the image."

"Wait… You're going?" I didn't realize I'd get to see her again before Monday.

"Oh, yeah. Did I forget to tell you? Us "special" teachers get to chaperone. Just another way for Dr. LeClerq to stick it to us that don't teach in the main building." _I think I heard a mumbled "skank" in there._

"Hmm… so, I'm assuming you'll be in costume? What are ya gonna be? Witch? Vampire?" _Hell, she could wear a garbage bag as a sack of M&Ms and she'd still look hot._

"Oh, no, I couldn't take away Amelia and Bill's costumes. Apparently she's always the witch and he's always the vampire. Nope, you'll just have to wait and see." She sang out the last part, which had me thinking I should wear my cup under my 'Viking-gear'.

"C'mon, at least give me a hint." I dipped my head low, batted my eyelashes and stuck out my bottom lip as far as it would go.

Without thinking, Sookie gently grabbed my lip between her thumb and pointer and looked me in the eyes, "You know… you could trip over this if you're not careful."

Letting go as though she realized her touching did not involve a 'life or death' situation, "Alright… a whistle and high heels."

My blank expression (_trying to cover up all the dirty thoughts cascading through my brain at the moment_) tipped her off.

"That's it, that's all you're getting. OK, now you need to get going so I can get some sleep, seeing as how I'm _working_ on a Saturday." She chuckled as she walked me to the door.

Our usual hug lasted a bit longer than normal- fine by me. And I was off to lie in bed thinking of Sookie's costume.

* * *

A/N- Cheers, ladies! No, I'm not British, but that always sounded like it would be cool to say- and it was! So, they're friends, any ideas on how that's gonna go?

Ooh, and what could Sookie possibly be for Halloween? Only my Beta and my Hubby know (he helped picked it out) *grins deviously*


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- You guys are awesome, I got a ton of great reviews for the last chapter- chocolate for all my ladies!

Again, thank you to my hugely supportive beta **LovingVikingEric**, she endures lots of hand holding and smacks to the back of the head ;o)

OK- the photos are up, we have pics of costumes for Eric, Sookie, Amelia, Sophie-Ann, Alcide, Jason, Quinn, Bill, Felicia and Debbie- and you already have the pics for Eric's parents, you'll meet them in this chapter.

This link should work, last time I stupidly missed a dot or two

http: / / picasaweb . google . com / 115482632952247218208 / CastingForRedLetterDay#

Ooooh! I almost forgot, while reading this, you may feel inclined to listen to "Let's Get it Started" by Black Eyed Peas and "Hips Don't Lie" & "Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira. AND, if you're wondering, Sookie's dancing is like that of Shakira's in Hips Don't Lie- dang, that lady can move!

**One last thing…The school is ran by Sophie-Ann, so… proper dress codes are not exactly enforced (or existent)

Disclaimer- I own nothing, well, maybe Melinda and Aaron (I just love them!)

* * *

Last time on RLD…

"_That's it, that's all you're getting. OK, now you need to get going so I can get some sleep, seeing as how I'm _working_ on a Saturday." She chuckled as she walked me to the door._

_Our usual hug lasted a bit longer than normal- fine by me. And I was off to lie in bed thinking of Sookie's costume._

* * *

Chapter 5

**EPOV**

Lacing up the armbands of my costume, I thought back on the conversation I had with Sookie this afternoon...

"_Pleeeeeeeease? I'll be reeeeally good in class…"_

"_Oh really? And you wouldn't be _good_ if I _didn't_ tell you?" The subtle flirting never got past me._

"_You know I'm _always_ good. C'mon, I really wanna know." Ok, now I was sounding like a little kid begging for a hint at his Christmas present._

_If I ever got a chance to unwrap this present, I'd be firm believer in good 'ole St. Nick._

"_Nope. Sorry. Not gonna tell ya. Though, I will say, all the teachers that get to chaperone tonight are going as a group. So, it _should_ be interesting…"_

_Alright, time to start guessing, "Ok, whistle and high heels… hmmm… are you a sexy drill sergeant? Oooh! Or maybe a… Porn star slash PE teacher?" Hehe, there's nothing I liked better than riling her up._

"_Eric Northman! That is inappropriate and I'm not even gonna respond to your question. Porn star? Really?" Her disgust was barely covering up her laughing tone._

"_Ok, ok, on to more '_appropriate'_ conversation…"_

We talked for a little over an hour before she needed to let me go to finish her laundry and get ready.

I still couldn't shake the images of Sookie wearing a whistle and high heels… and nothing else!

_Damn!_

I struggled to lace up the front of my skin-tight leather pants. I was going all-out authentic, well… at least as authentic as the Halloween store allowed.

The fur covering my shoulders tied in front and was the only thing I wore on top. There were these leather armbands that covered my forearms. The boots came up to just under my knees and, like everything else, laced up.

The coolest part was the shield and sword. _Granted, they were nowhere near 'real', I sure as hell didn't have the money for that- but, they did look pretty sweet._

* * *

"Hey Eric, so, are you all ready for the dance tonight?" The overly cheery voice greeted me as I rummaged through the fridge for a quick bite.

"Yeah, Mom. It'll probably be a late one too, so, don't wait up for me, kay?"

"Boy, you've had a lot of late night activities lately. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you had a girlfriend." _I wish_.

Of course, mom had to yank me from my musings by giving me a hip bump and a wink.

"Nope, sorry Mom. No girlfriend here. But you might wanna ask Pam, I bet she's got a new one." I snickered as I dodged a swat from my mom.

"You hush now! You know she's not _that_ bad." _Oh yes she was!_

Pam was a notorious 'love 'em and leave 'em' as far as relationships go.

"Besides, her and that… oh, what's her name… oh! Indira! Yes, Indira… hmm…what a pretty name…" _See! I came by the ADD naturally._

"Anyways, she and Indira have been together for a couple months now. That's like a record for her."

Pam has worked as a modeling agent for the past couple years and Indira just happened to be the hottest thing around… at the moment. I wouldn't count on it lasting too long. Her girlfriends came and went with the seasons.

My parents and I knew about Pam _way_ before she "came out." You couldn't ignore the fact that your sister would flirt with your dates more than you would.

Best thing about the whole situation was the fact that when she came out, my parents nodded and then went back to the previous conversation at the dinner table.

Pam just sat there slack-jawed.

I smirked at her and she kicked me in the shin.

Then pinched my arm after I muttered, "Not cool, lesbo!" and started laughing.

"Well, I guess we'll see if she's changed her ways. But, you know mom, I've just been hangin' with the guys. We've had to unwind after games lately. Tonight's probably the first time in two months that we'll be able to hang out without being exhausted."

"Alright, well, be careful. Oh, and talk to your dad, I think he wanted to ask you something about an application or what-not." I leaned over and kissed my mom on the cheek. I'll never figure out how such a short woman created two giants.

Melinda Northman amounted to all of about 5'2" and 120 pounds. She had bouncy blonde hair that definitely suited her personality. Mom has always had loads of energy and carted Pam and me all over the place.

I was also pretty sure that she and dad never raised their voices at us… and if I thought about it hard enough, I couldn't find a time when they were actually 'angry' with us.

_We were either, excellent, well-behaved children… fat chance… or, my parents were the most tolerant people in the world. Yep… that made more sense._

Walking into my dad's office, I tossed a Hoho at him. Without looking, he snagged it, mid-air, and chuckled as he opened it to take a bite.

"What's up? Mom said you "beckoned" me." Still smiling, my dad turned towards me and finished off his Hoho in one more bite.

"Not much, I just wanted to know if you'd turned in your application to LSU yet."

"Done." _Easy, I'd finished it the moment I got the application packet and had it in the mail the next day._

"Nice…uh… outfit? You plannin' on puttin' on a shirt?" The trademarked eyebrow raise was one of the things I received from the Aaron Northman side of things.

My dad had a boyish look, even if he was pushing 50. I wasn't sure if he ever didn't have a smile on his face. Close to 6'2", he still didn't quite make it to my height. Apparently, my grandparents were tall Swedes, or something. They passed away before I was born.

"Hey, I gotta be able to show off the goods, you know." I winked at my dad and left his office. His chuckling was the background music as I headed to my room to finish my attire.

* * *

I told the other guys on the team that I'd just meet them there. Riding in someone else's beat up car when I could be cruising around in mine wasn't part of the plan.

Clancy, Chow and Quinn were hanging out near Quinn's Explorer as I pulled into the parking lot.

True to his word, Quinn was sporting an 'honest-to-God' loincloth. He was carrying a club and the only other thing he had on were strap-sandals.

_Ugh_… I shuddered at the thought that this is what I would see every time I closed my eyes. I was also near positive that he shaved every part of his body.

Clancy was dressed as one of the three musketeers, feathered hat, tights, and all!

Chow, of course, picked 'ninja' out of the hat. Though, I wasn't certain as to what time period it came from. He was covered, head to toe, in black Lycra and had a few silver stars attached to his belt.

"Damn, Northman. You ready for battle, or what?"

"Yeah, Dude! Too bad the girls will be too busy checking me out all night, to enjoy your costume." Quinn snickered as a lightning fast hand smacked him in the back of the head.

All of us shot a look to Chow who was just looking around.

Seriously, I didn't think it was even physically possible for him to hit Quinn from where he was standing.

_Hmm..._

* * *

Walking into the gym, we joined the rest of the team all clad in various warrior attire.

The cheerleaders had hooked up with the rest of the "popular girls" (read: privileged) and decided to dress as the slutiest super heroes I'd ever seen.

Yeah, they were pretty hot looking but I was waiting for my vixen to grace me with her presence.

Looking around, I couldn't spot her anywhere. In fact, I didn't see any teachers at all.

Just as I was turning to ask Chow about our 'prison guards' whereabouts, the DJ jumped on the microphone.

"IS EVERYBODY READY TO PARTYYYY?" The crowd of 800 or so teenagers gave a hearty cheer.

"Well, alright then. Let's do this." With that the opening line of Let's Get it Started by Black Eyed Peas blared over the PA system.

My goddess came jogging out to the middle of the gym. I swear I heard every jaw hit the floor when she bounced out. Literally bounced.

She was kinda jog/hoppin in place in front of the DJ's stand. _Fucking HOT!_

A striped, referee t-shirt three sizes too small just barely contained her breasts. Strappy black stilettos connected to black and white striped, knee-high socks. The rest of her legs were exposed to the tops of her thighs, where a microscopic black skirted flared.

Oh, yeah, she had a whistle dangling from her lips as she smiled and winked to the crowd.

_Well… to everyone else, it looked like she winked to the crowd. _

From my vantage point, I could tell her eyes had locked onto mine. My suspicions were confirmed by the widening of her eyes and her nearly dropping the whistle as she took in my apparel.

_I knew the feeling._

Thank God, the shield was big enough to cover up my erection. Though, I wasn't sure how much more straining the fabric could handle_._

I was seconds away from castrating nearly the entire male population before Sookie blew the whistle and out came a few of the female teachers, including Ms. Broadway in a cheerleader uniform.

The guys around me seemed to have to divide their attention between all the teachers in front of us- _luckily for them._

As the music progressed, the "cheerleaders" hopped up and down, pom-poms waving. Sookie kept up a steady bounce with the music, occasionally throwing her arms up in the air.

After the next whistle, the male faculty came out. That was far more than I cared to see.

Coaches Stackhouse and Herveaux rushed into the gym wearing about half of a regular football player's uniform. All the guys around me groaned, the girls gasped.

Vomiting was looking like it was in my near future, until… Mr. Compton walked out.

He had the stiffest gait of anyone I knew. Though, if I had to wear his costume, I'd probably have walked that way too.

Marching Band Member was not a sexy costume, by any means. And with Mr. Compton wearing it… well, let's just say, I wouldn't be surprised if the band enrollment took a major decline next year.

As the music faded, and my fantasy ceased her bouncing (_damn!),_ Dr. LeClerq strutted into the room.

Where on earth did she find that costume?

She was dressed as a skanky Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.

"OK, Shreveport High, a big round for your Halloween Hoopla chaperones!" A thorough round of applause erupted in the gym, _though I didn't think it had anything to do with respect for our elders- at least not for me._

Within five minutes, the teachers had congregated to one end of the gym and the students on the other end.

The girls were trying their hardest to get the guys onto the dance floor. Most self-respecting football players avoid dancing to anything with a beat faster than D.O.A.

I, however, loved to dance… especially fast songs._ Seriously, these guys had no idea what they were missing. Girls swaying their hips against your junk? Yep, I loved to dance. _

Unfortunately, the only hips I wanted near my junk were on the other side of the gym, a safe distance away from my body parts.

I was able to stay with most of the conversations going on around me. Most of the time it was incoherent gibberish as the guys were drooling over the girls. That didn't mean I was actually paying attention to what they said.

Nope, my attention was focused solely on Sookie. She hadn't gone out to the dance floor but she was swaying her hips as she mingled with the other teachers.

Alcide and Jason were almost always within an arms length of her.

Alcide leaned in to Sookie and whispered something right against her ear. She touched his arm and started laughing hysterically.

_Oh, what I wouldn't do for a potato peeler right about now._

_There was no way they were "just friends" as Sookie had said._

_But, what the hell was I gonna do about it. We weren't together, and the most I could hope for was a weekly dinner and hour-long phone conversations._

While I was absorbed in my frustrations, Felicia took that as her cue to rub her barely covered ass against me.

I gently pushed at her arms until we weren't touching. Her superman costume looked more like underwear than Halloween attire.

"Oh, c'mon Eric. One dance won't kill you." She pressed up against me and whispered into my ear, "Though, if you're not careful, _I_ may devour you." Just before I stepped back, she licked up the side of my neck.

I was just about to tell her to knock it off when she was blatantly staring at something over my shoulder.

"Gee whiz. Looks like you've got an admirer, Eric." I twisted my head around until I saw what Felicia was looking at.

Sookie was not so inconspicuously glancing at me. The look in her eyes killed me. It's possible I was imagining things, but the look in her eyes was that of hurt and betrayal.

The moment she saw me, her eyes shifted back to Amelia and reengaged herself with the conversation.

"Hmm… prissy bitch better knock it off or else Dr. LeClerq will have to find a new Home Ec. teacher." Felicia had one hand on her hip and the other sliding up my chest.

I brushed away her hand and glanced around the room, "Whatever Felicia, why don't you get Quinn to dance."

She stuck out her bottom lip, "But, Errrric, I want _you _to dance!" Suddenly, her eyes lit up, "Hey, I know what. I'm gonna have a dance-off with that bitch."

My scrunched up forehead clued her into the fact that I wasn't following a word she said.

"Yeah, I'll have a little dance-off and you can see just exactly what you're missing." _Huh?_

Felicia's bony ass swayed over to the DJ and whispered something to him. Within moments, the music faded and he spoke up.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, I've just received a request for a student/teacher dance off. Ok, so the deal is… I need the students to pick a representative and the teachers to do the same. We'll have one song and may the best dancer win!" Just then, the Jeopardy theme song kicked in.

Felicia gathered her groupies and they all started cheering for her.

I peeked over to the teachers' side of the gym and nearly all of them were pointing to Sookie. Hmm… this could be very interesting…

"Ok, looks like we have our contestants. Ladies, please take the floor. Since this was a student request, we'll let…" He leaned over to Felicia and she whispered, "Felicia dance first. However," over to Sookie, "Miss Stackhouse will pick the song."

The DJ looked at Sookie who was concentrating and looking up to the ceiling until a slow, slightly devious, smile crept across her face. She whispered to the DJ.

"Ok, ladies… take your positions." Both women stood on opposite ends of the dance floor with their respective "cheer zones" behind them.

It took me a moment to place the trumpet intro, but within a couple seconds, I recognized Hips Don't Lie by Shakira.

I was to the side of the student section and in perfect view of Felicia as the terrified look crossed her face. With a few hollers from her "friends", Felicia started shaking her hips.

Ooh… this was gonna be bad! She looked like a robot on acid.

About halfway through, the DJ announced that it was time for the teachers to reclaim their turf. Sookie raised her eyebrow and twisted in the most seductive way.

It started as a slow tremor that crescendoed into a full-blown shimmy of her hips while her arms draped through the air tracking her movements.

The male students had the same reaction as they did to her costume, only this time they started swaying to her movements as though they were hypnotized.

By the time the final notes were fading out, both sides of the gym filled with applause and cat calls.

"OK, here's where you tell me who won." The DJ put his hand over Felicia. There was a bit of applause- mostly from her fangirls.

When he placed his hand over Sookie, the crowd exploded with noise. All the teachers stormed the dance floor and a group hug commenced.

"In honor of our _extremely_ talented winner, we have another Shakira tune just for Miss Stackhouse."

As the crowd parted and Underneath Your Clothes began, I felt my stomach drop and bile rise, simultaneously.

Sookie was in Coach Herveaux's arms; they were dancing slowly and too, fucking, close.

As he spun her around, she had that same look in her eyes as she did when she saw Felicia next to me.

I avoided looking to the dance floor and made my way to the table that was already overwhelmed with bored-looking jocks.

Chow was tossing his stars into the air and catching them. Quinn was trying to get Felicia to take a peek under his loincloth.

I slumped into my chair, not realizing Debbie was nearby. She decided my lap was as good as any place to sit and wiggled onto my crotch, effectively killing any erection I had left.

"Debbie, what the fuck do you want." I was in no mood to put up with her sexual harassment.

"Funny you should say it like _that_," another wiggle with a little grind added, " 'cuz that's exactly what I want." She leaned back against my chest and purred into my ear.

I placed my hands on her hips, one of the few places covered by her barely-there Wonder Woman costume, and was about to push her up and away when I looked up to see Sookie about twenty feet away.

She had seen the awkward, and definitely indecent, positioning of Debbie on my lap and the placement of my hands. She dropped her eyes to the floor.

Alcide, who had been standing next to her getting a glass of punch, noticed her change in demeanor and whispered into her ear. Sookie shook her head, still not raising her eyes to meet my gaze, and walked towards the doors to the hallway.

I waited just a moment and checked to see if anyone would notice me sneaking out.

Sookie was almost through the girls' bathroom door when I spotted her from the end of the hall. I ran towards it and debated for half a second about going in or not.

I was met with a shocked and slightly indignant Sookie, "You can't just barge into the girls' bathroom; this is a sacred space for women to hide out from the idiots of the world!"

The laughter was just about to break the surface when I felt her delicate, little hand shove me with all her weight into a stall.

"Stay as quiet as possible and don't move!" She slammed the door closed and I locked it on impulse.

Not even a moment later, I heard the door swing open, violently, "SOOKIE! What's wrong? Alcide said you seemed upset and that you ran to the bathroom." Amelia's voice was echoing off the walls, eerily retaining the high-pitched squeal.

"Ames, I'm fine. I was just getting a little nauseous out there. I haven't danced that much in a while and I think I might be coming down with the flu." _Shit! How could I have not noticed her feeling sick. _

"Oh. Ok. Yeah, hon, I wasn't gonna say nothing, but you don't look so good. You want me to tell Dr. LeClerq that you had to get home. I can give you a ride if you need one, you came with Jason and Alcide, right?" Amelia's shrill had quieted to a caring whisper.

"That would be great if you could tell Sophie-Ann, but don't worry about the ride. I'm gonna walk, I think a little fresh air might help." _Or maybe a ride home from another certain 'friend' will come along._

"Oookay, if you're sure? Call me on my cell if you need anything, kay?" I craned my neck slightly to see through the crack in the stall. Sookie nodded to Amelia, gave her a quick hug and she was headed out the door.

The moment the door closed completely, Sookie had slid into the stall with me and locked it behind her.

"In case any other _girls_ walk in." The irritation was clear in her explanation.

In hushed tones, I asked, "Ok, will you tell me what's wrong, or do I get the "flu" story too?" I stepped a little closer to her.

Her eyes dropped to her hands fidgeting with her skimpy skirt. "I-I… I don't know what you want me to say." I leaned in to her.

"Sookie," my finger pulled her face up to meet my gaze, "just tell me the truth. I know you're upset, but why? Does it have anything to do with Felicia or Debbie?"

The instant I said their names, Sookie pulled back and narrowed her eyes at me, "What the fuck do I care if you're getting your rocks off at a school dance?" The venom spewing from her lips gave me my answer.

_Yep, that's exactly what was wrong._

"Hold on a minute," I grabbed her wrists and pressed my body against hers, "I pushed them away each and every time they came near. How 'bout you tell me why it seems like you and Alcide are more than _friends_." I pinned her down with a glare.

"I've told you this before. Yes, Alcide and I used to date, but we are just friends now. I've known him forever and I trust him."

"Whoa, wait a minute… you trust _him_, but you don't trust _me_?" The pain of what she just confessed caused me to lose my grip on her wrists and take a small step back.

Her eyes rounded out and twitched a little with the beginnings of tears.

"Eric, how can I trust you? You've had sex with nearly every girl at this school, not to mention, you're my _student. _How do I know I'm not just some fling… just a great story to take with you to college?" My confidence started coming back as she poured her heart out to me.

I placed me hands gently on her waist, "Sookie, I think about you all the time. And I mean All. The. Time. I haven't so much as looked at another girl since I met you. I don't want anyone else. You're not some story. You are a beautiful, intelligent, funny and insightful woman. I am just lucky enough to have caught your interest."

My right hand left its perch on her waist to cup her face. When my face was close enough for her nose to brush against mine, I stopped.

"Sookie…please don't reject me again…" Blue eyes pleaded with mine, for what? I wasn't sure. At that moment, I didn't care.

I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck, digging into her loose curls, as my lips claimed hers in a rough embrace.

She wrapped her arms around my waist and slid them up my exposed back. This was so much more intimate than our "kitchen tryst." The contact between us was cementing the foundation of a new relationship- _God, please don't let her regret this!_

A low guttural moan filled my mouth. It took me a second to realize it had come from Sookie. I pressed my firm arousal into her stomach as she rocked her hips against me.

Just as Sookie's thigh glided up my leg to wrap around my thigh… giggling broke through the door to the bathroom as a gaggle of girls flooded the porcelain space.

"Shit!" Sookie's comment was louder than she expected and the girls stopped giggling. My head dropped to Sookie's shoulder.

_Uh-oh!_

_Busted!_

* * *

A/N- Oops! That's right kiddies, bathroom sex is not a group sport! So… was our Dynamic Duo foiled in the midst of their pre-fornication? AND, which instinct will prevail in Sookie, fight or flight?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- Hi there! Ok, you guys rock- I got to 100 reviews with the last chappy! Thanks :o)

Wow! This is my longest chapter EV-ER! Woohoo! I just didn't want to cut it early and leave you without all the info. _Aren't I sweet? Yeah, I thought so_. ;o)

I know, I'm mean and left ya with a little cliffy. You didn't really think anything bad was going to happen, did you? Sorry *bottom lip out*

Thank you, thank you to my beta, **LovingVikingEric**, this story would just be a bunch of letters and commas without your guidance *deep bow* ;o)

Oh, I also added a pic of Sookie's apt to the photo album for the story...

http: / picasaweb . google . com /lh /sredir?uname=115482632952247218208&target=ALBUM&id=5486237704868510321&authkey=Gv1sRgCPWi66f0hq6rzQE&feat=email *fingers crossed that it works*

?- Ok, I'm just gonna say it- I hate editing on FF, if anyone has any tips on how to increase space between lines and what-not, please- PLEASE pm me, I'm drownin' here. :o{

Disclaimer- None of these are mine, too bad. They belong to Charlaine Harris.

******There is a little, **secret note** at the bottom that might give you a few clues to things to come in the future. But, you may have already guessed what's gonna happen and you won't need the clue ;oP

Enjoy :o)

**

* * *

**

**Previously on RLD…**

_Just as Sookie's thigh glided up my leg to wrap around my thigh… giggling broke through the door to the bathroom as a gaggle of girls flooded the porcelain space._

"_Shit!" Sookie's comment was louder than she expected and the girls stopped giggling. My head dropped to Sookie's shoulder._

_Uh-oh!_

_Busted!_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**EPOV**

"Um… Miss Stackhouse?" A timid voice asked from the other side of the stall. "Are you ok?"

I lifted my head and Sookie looked up at me. She smiled, raised an eyebrow in defiance, and nipped at my chin.

I cocked my head at her, squeezing my brows together.

_She'd lost her frickin' mind!_

"Uh, yeah girls, I'm fine. Just having a little issue with the g-string that's all." You know in cartoons, when the characters eyes pop out about six inches from their heads… yeah, that's exactly what happened to mine when she divulged the type of panty she was wearing.

Feeling a little… _frisky_, I decided to confirm what she just said.

My hand at her waist slipped down her backside and underneath her skirt.

Sookie's eyes snapped up to mine; her face a horrified mixture of terror and desire.

_Ooh… somebody liked to play dangerously._

My fingers caressed her smooth cheek lovingly as Sookie made up some excuse to the girls and they began to exit the restroom, their plan for gossiping abandoned.

As my hand was nearing the center of its destination and still not encountering any sort of man-made barrier, Sookie shoved me back- hard!

"Oof!" My back wasn't too pleased with the tile wall it was forced to meet.

_OK, so I may have taken things a little too far with the whole 'ass-grab', but, c'mon… she said she was wearing a g-string… I was just making sure she wasn't lying to these innocent, impressionable students._

_Yeah, that and getting a whole, handful of delicious._

She stepped forward, grabbed the laces of my fur shawl and yanked me towards her.

"Eric Northman!" _Oh boy, here we go._

"If you don't get me to my apartment in the next seven minutes… you will have one very… unhappy… _friend_." A bite to each of my lips and my chin punctuated her last words.

_Holy Fuck!_

_Is it possible for your dick explode from too much stimulation? Hmm… better look that up. _

_Or, better yet, I could ask Coach Stackhouse. He watches the discovery channel._

"Meet me at my car. I'll grab my shield and sword and be out there in less than two minutes." I whispered huskily as I clung to her waist.

She giggled when I said 'sword' but rushed out of the bathroom without another word.

I made good on my unspoken promise and had her home in under seven minutes.

Following her up to her apartment, I was able to stay a couple steps down and peek at the flesh concealed by the tiny costume.

About to lunge at her when she closed and locked the door, she placed her hand on my chest to stop me.

Confusion written all over my face, "What's up?"

She glanced towards my tight, blood-flow constricting, leather pants and smirked, "I thought we should talk before things got too…uh…whatever they were about to get to in that bathroom stall."

Sookie grabbed my hand and pulled me to sit next to her on the loveseat. I leaned back and stretched out with my arms draped across the back. As she got comfortable, she mumbled, "gee, just make yourself at home, why don't'cha."

I chuckled at her and placed my hand on her shoulder. She focused on my fingers then grasped my hand in hers and slid it down so they were entwined on her leg.

"Eric…" she paused, trying to sort through what she wanted to say, "what are we doing?"

Instant face-fall.

_Fuck! She regretted it. Damnit! _

_I knew I shoulda went to church more- no way would God answer the prayers of a 'once-a-year-Christian.'_

"I _thought_ we were going to start a relationship… like boyfriend/girlfriend type." My quivering voiced sounded pathetic. I was so nervous about her answer that my knee started bouncing like a jack hammer.

Sookie placed her hand on my knee to stop it, then rubbed slowly…back… and forth…

With my free hand, I grabbed her wrist, "If you wanted to talk, that's not gonna help." I gestured to my knee.

Blushing, Sookie smiled down at our hands and sandwiched mine between hers. "What I meant was, how are we going to do this? No one can know about us, Eric."

Sitting up, I leaned over my knees, "Sookie, no one knows about us as friends. Us dating wouldn't change that much. We could go to places outside of Shreveport, hang out at your apartment. Then after I graduate… well, we're both consenting adults, they can't stop us."

I waited a moment.

And another.

AND another.

Finally, Sookie's eyes slowly raised from her focus on our hands. Eyes shone with skepticism.

"Ok." _Really? Just like that?_

"Are you sure?" I practically jumped on top of her when she nodded; I was so excited.

Unfortunately, I landed on the loveseat… _just_ the loveseat.

Sookie stood over me, trying to look stern. Too bad her referee costume just made her look like a dominatrix (not that I was complaining).

"Well, now I think you should leave."

"What!" _Was she kicking me out? No way!_

In my terrified exclamation, I grabbed Sookie's hands. She squeezed them.

"I mean, if we're gonna be boyfriend/girlfriend, then you need to take me out on a proper date. And, despite our previous…_activities_, I don't kiss on the first date."

_Oh, hell no!_

In a whoosh of movement, Sookie's hair was falling back over her shoulders as she landed on my lap, legs to either side of mine.

She was shocked still and I took that moment to place my hands at the small of her back, pull her to me and whisper in her ear, "Lover, if you think I'm leaving without a goodnight kiss, well…I… ok, I don't have a really good reason, but I still think you should kiss me." I leaned back and gave her a dazzling smile, hoping to charm her into my way of thinking.

Her head cocked to the side, she looked at me, appraising the situation and my request. My fingers lightly twisted a strand of her hair that landed on top of my hand as she stared.

"Hmm…," Sookie slowly arched her back like a cat and pressed her nearly-bursting-bust against my bare chest; ran her hands up my shoulders… neck… and entwined them at the base of my hair.

Her lips were within centimeters of mine. So close I could feel the vibrations from them as she spoke.

The sensually smooth voice was almost inaudible. "Do you think I _need_ a really good reason?"

With that, Sookie's lips crashed against mine and it was as though the last twenty minutes had been erased; we picked up right where we left off.

The kiss was so frenzied and erratic. Sookie bit my lip, just enough to draw blood. She began to pull away slightly, I growled and grabbed her ass to pull her back to me.

A squeal and smile were the only acknowledgements I received for my caveman efforts. Tongues twisted simultaneously while my hands kneaded and massaged her, mostly bare, backside.

Sookie's fingers dug into my hair, yanking aggressively whenever I gripped a little tighter.

Soft mews and heavy pants were the only sounds in the room as Sookie's tongue slid along my jaw to nip at my earlobe.

"Ugh…" the low groan was forced from my throat as Sookie grinded her center against my leather encased erection.

One of my hands abandoned its position on her ass to snatch a handful of hair and roughly pull her up to my mouth. _God! I couldn't get enough of her. The feeling was almost suffocating me- but, it would be a sweet death._

Just as my hand left her hair and fingertips trailed between her luscious breasts to the buttons confining them, her eyes caught mine.

Her forehead was wrinkled in an "I-don't-want-to-disappoint-you-but-I-need-to-say-something" kind of way. _Yeah, it was a talkative wrinkle._

"Eric…"

I steadied her hips, the fur on my shoulders rising with each struggled breath I took. Slender hands smoothed my hair and gently combed through the tangles. Once she was satisfied with my appearance, her arms encircled my shoulders and she laid her head on me, her quick breaths tickling my Adam's apple.

"Why do I lose control with you?" Her shoulders relaxed and loosened to the point where her fingers were twirling the hair at the base of my neck.

I was barely keeping myself in check, there was no way I would have been able to answer her.

"I can't seem to stop myself when I'm around you. The rules went out the window that first night. Every time you touch me… I just… I can't think. It's terrifying that you have this power over me and you're just a kid!" Exasperated didn't even cover her tone.

_Just a kid!_

I leaned back far enough so she was forced to look at me. "Sookie, I'm not gonna keep havin' this conversation with you. I'm not 'just a kid' anymore than you're 'just an adult'. Five years is not that much of a difference," I stopped her protest with a hand gently clamped over her lips, "yes, I know the positions we're both in and how it looks to everyone else. But… I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks. The only reason I'll keep our relationship a secret is so you don't get into trouble with Dr. LeClerq. But the second, and I mean THE SECOND, I graduate, I will be telling everyone I know that you're mine."

A small smile turned her lips for a moment before they straightened out again, "Hey buddy! Why don't we see how this first date goes before making plans for 7 or 8 months from now?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you'd be able to keep up. But… I guess, you know, since you're _old_ and all, that it might be difficult to keep me… _satisfied_?" Eyebrows raised in mock challenge, while my lip twitched up at the corner.

A gasped, "Why you little…" and the tickling commenced!

* * *

Ten minutes later, we were laid out on the floor, spooning while watching infomercials. My head propped up on my fist, Sookie's rested on her elbow. My hand draped across her stomach, flipping through the channels, pausing on the more ridiculous commercials.

Rolling to her back and looking up at me, I muted the tv and rested my hand on the portion of skin revealed by her shirt riding up.

"So, this whole dating thing?"

"Mmm-hmm." I was trying to figure out where she was going with this.

"It's not gonna be much different from what we were doing?" Her voice still didn't give me any clue as to her mood. Sookie's left hand traced feather-light circles on my exposed chest.

"Nope, it'll be pretty much the same… well, I mean… I couldn't do this before." I leaned down and planted a smooth kiss to her plump lips, just long enough for her to get lost in it before I tugged on her bottom lip as I pulled back.

"Hmm…"

"What do you have going on in that brain of yours?" My own hand was tracing her belly button and drew lines away from it towards the hem of her shirt and the waist band of her skirt.

"Well… I'm starting to think this was all part of your master plan." Her lips pursed and eyebrow raised.

"I may be a bit of an opportunist… didn't I mention that before?" Closing the small gap, I nuzzled my nose and chin into the junction of her velvety smooth neck and shoulder. Ghosting kisses across her collar bone, I could feel the purring within her.

"Mmm… no… I don't think you mentioned that…" Her hand slid down my arm and linked her fingers with mine.

Having one hand in my control, I reached for her other hand as she was distracted by my lips sucking gently just under her jaw.

"Ungh…" her groan made me twitch a little… _ok, a lot, but what's the difference when it just won't go away!_

"Really? Are you sure…" my husky breath left a trail of goose bumps along the path I had just tongued up her neck.

One second I was to her side, the next I was kneeling on top her. Hovering just over her thighs, with her hands pinned down right above her head.

_Fuck!_

_She is so damn sexy. I have no idea why I thought this position would give me any control; I'd give her anything she wanted right now._

Her eyes widened and slid along my arms, across my chest and down to a very prominent erection, practically pulsing to be let free. She snapped her gaze up to mine and slowly… oh… so.. slowly, licked her bottom lip.

"Well, you've got me where you want me. What are you gonna do about it big boy?" _Holy Fuck! Is she trying to kill me? _

"Damn, Sook! As much as I'd like to show you how big of a _man_ I am, we need to discuss this 'date' and then I need to tuck you in so I can get home." Slowly, yet forcefully, her hips pressed up into my groin.

"Alright, I suppose it is getting late." She stuck her bottom lip out, the same way I had the previous night.

Finally, I get to do something I've wanted to for so long.

I bent down, being sure to grind against Sookie's center, and plucked her lip between my teeth and sucked. I let go within a moment and looked at Sookie's still closed eyes.

She opened them and narrowed her gaze at me, "That was for last night, wasn't it?"

Smiling widely, "Yes, ma'am." She grumbled incoherently while glaring at me.

"Miss Stackhouse, are you doing anything Tuesday night around 8 o'clock?" I used my most proper and completely unconvincing British accent.

"Uh, I don't think so." My lips turned down and my eyebrows bunched together in the picture of disappointment.

"You're supposed to say, 'yes, I do. I'm having dinner with my boyfriend.'" The grin that spread across her face was contagious, but I looked her in the eyes and waited until she got the hint.

"Oh! You know, I just realized, I am busy Tuesday night… yep, I'm having dinner with my incredibly high-handed, over-bearing, Viking-boyfriend."

Sliding her hands across the floor, straight up from her head, as I leaned down towards her face, "Well, he wouldn't be a true Viking if he wasn't over-bearing." A light kiss placed on the tip of her nose and I jumped to my feet, releasing her hands.

I reached down and she grabbed a hold while I hauled her up.

Still holding her hand, I walked her to the door, "Ok, now I'm leaving, because if I don't and these leather pants get ripped, my mom will definitely come to conclusions, probably wilder than what actually happened." I winked down at Sookie and pulled her up to me, my hands wrapped around her waist.

She slipped hers around my neck and pulled me down for a deep, earth-shattering kiss. Her tongue nearly twisted mine into knots. As I moaned and squeezed her closer to me, she slowly released my mouth and pulled back out of my embrace.

"Something to remember me by." A slight smile was the only exception to her otherwise dazed expression.

"I don't think there's much chance that I'll forget you.. Cynthia." Sookie's mouth dropped open in shock. Lightning quick, she smacked my upper arm.

"Right… see ya later, Edward." Her teasing voice followed me out the door. And continued to haunt me throughout my _intense_ dreams.

* * *

Sunday was spent working on homework, talking to Sookie and hanging out with the guys.

"Hey man, where'd you go after the dance last night? I thought you were coming to my house to hang out?" Nothing ever got passed Chow, no matter how many beers they all tossed back before the dance.

"Felicia and Debbie were relentless and I was just getting sick of their shit, so I took off. I ended up jogging for about an hour last night." Covering up with a workout was always a winner.

The four of us were hunched over in our video rockers, engrossed in the world of Halo, in Chow's basement.

Without looking up (or taking our attention from the game, for that matter), Clancy chimed in, "You know, you haven't gone to the last few after-game parties. Are you gay?"

The question slipped into the conversation so smoothly and without inflection, it took me a moment to react.

"What?" _Where the fuck did that come from?_

Still calm, focused solely on the game, "Well, I'm just sayin'… either you're gay and are hookin' up with dudes, or you've become a hermit and decided to start going home after games. Funny thing is… I called your house after the games a couple times." _Shit, Shit, SHIT!_

"You know, your mom thinks you're at the parties…" I glared out the corner of my eye in his direction, never breaking my momentum in the game. "Don't worry, dude, I always said I was just checking to see if you were at the party and I was still on my way over."

Refocused on the tv screen in front of us. I said nothing… _maybe they'd forget- all this video gaming couldn't be for not… could it?_

"Well?" Quinn jumped at the chance for gossip, "You gonna tell us or what?"

_OK, breath normally… they know nothing._

_Yet._

_Think quick, think quick._

_Shit, Chow paused the game._

_Ok, answer them, there all lookin' at you._

"Fine, but this can't go past these four walls." A round of nods later, and the three unconsciously leaned forward to hear my secret.

_Deep breath._

_They're your friends._

_They'd understand._

"I'm dating this girl… from another school… her parents hate our school and don't allow her to date. So… we go out after games when her parents have gone to sleep."

_There, that oughta be enough._

"C'mon, dude…" Shit, how can Quinn be that perceptive, it was a good lie! "What's her name, what does she look like- hot, right?"

_Phew!_

"_Dude_, she's fucking incredible, but she's mine to hide away and that's all I'm sayin'." Turning towards the tv, I put the proverbial period to our conversation.

"That's all you're givin' us?" Clancy groaned at Quinn's inability to let it go.

Chow unpaused the game and the four of us continued our assault on 'The Covenant'.

Quinn huffed and murmured, "Whatever. You can't keep her a secret forever."

* * *

Monday and Tuesday went by as usual. Sookie and I continued our typical banter during my independent study time. There was an unspoken understanding that nothing at school could change.

The only thing that stuck out in my memory was a conversation I overheard between Coaches Stackhouse and Herveaux on Monday.

_After practice, I had showered and changed and was the last one to walk out._

_Passing by the slightly opened door to the Coaches' office, I could make out Jason and Alcide chatting._

"_Seriously, what the hell was up Sook's crawl yesterday? Did you do something on Saturday to piss her off?" ' Protective older brother' snuck out in his voice._

"_Jas, I have no idea. We were dancing, I thought things were going ok and suddenly, she said she didn't feel good and needed to use the bathroom. After that, Amelia said she took off to walk home for some fresh air because she was feeling sick. But damn! I thought she was gonna kick both our asses yesterday." Alcide's voice sounded like that of a defeated, battle survivor._

"_Well, shit. She kicked me out of my own kitchen! I know she loves to cook, but, Jesus! Nothing I did yesterday was right, everything smelled "funny" AND to top it all off, she hardly ate anything!" Jason was getting worked up._

"_I don't know, maybe she's still having a hard time with everything."_

"_Yeah, I guess I haven't been there for her too much, other than Sunday dinners. She just seems to be hiding herself away and I don't know what to do." His voice lowered to a whisper as he spoke, it sounded as though he was looking to the floor as he talked._

"_Jas, you know Sook… she'll pull out of this. Besides, Thanksgiving's comin' up, that's like, her favorite holiday. Just do me one favor…" pause, "Let her do ALL the cooking, please? I don't think I can handle another 'hostile take-over' like yesterday." Chuckling clued me into the ending of the conversation and __my time to exit._

* * *

I didn't want Sookie to know that I was listening in on their conversation, so I didn't mention anything. But, I did pay closer attention to her moods. If she was still grieving, I wanted to know.

After a little research, I took Sookie to a trendy French bistro just outside of Ruston. It wasn't a large restaurant, but it had very private booths and slightly dimmed lighting.

Flirtatious touches, conversation dripping with intentional innuendos and the occasional sharing of food (especially the powdery beignets) encompassed our extremely casual and intimate dinner.

Driving Sookie home, her fingers were linked with mine over the gear shift. I parked in a darkened area of her complex's parking lot- which was, unfortunately, common in this area.

Seeing as how most of the tenants were of the over 50-60 range and usually went to bed around nine, I walked Sookie to the building's door- any further and I wouldn't be leaving till morning.

Reaching around my waist, she laid her head against my chest and breathed out a heavy sigh, "Thank you."

I pulled her closer to me with my arms around her back, "You're welcome, but… for what?"

Beautiful blues connected with mine as she tilted her head to look up my body towards my face, "For an incredible date, for being so sweet… for helping me forget the pain for a little while." A stray tear escaped her white-knuckled hold on her emotions.

My hands cupped her face and mine came down for a slow, tenderly placed, kiss. "My pleasure. Now, get to bed, or you'll be of no use to me in the morning, _Miss Stackhouse_." A giggle from her and a quick smack to the ass from me completed our goodbye.

* * *

Except for the one to two extra date nights per week, our routine was pretty much the same as before our "Great Revelation".

Each time we were alone (away from school) our contact became a little more _intimate_. We still hadn't breached the barrier that occurred during the "kitchen encounter".

Sookie had good days and bad days. Since I'd never lost someone that was as close to me as Gran was to Sookie, I had no idea what the grieving process was supposed to entail. So, I was just 'with' her; held her, listened to her tears and her stories. I couldn't offer a lot of advice, just reassurance that what she was doing was right for her.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, my mom kicked me out of the house to do some cleaning.

"I don't care where ya go, but I need you out from underfoot in order to exterminate some dust bunnies!" Mom was slightly psychotic when it came to holiday cleaning. Pam was bringing Indira for Thanksgiving and, of course, they would be making sure that the fan blades were free of dirt- _whatever, mom!_

_Hmm… what to do with my free time._

_Call the guys…maybe._

_Call the girls… probably not._

_Call my girlfriend… most definitely!_

"Hey, Sexy. What'cha wearin'?"

"I hope you're alone or your mom thinks your talkin' to Quinn!" _Ooh, feisty today._

"I am a free man today. Got any plans?" My excitement was spilling over into my slightly reckless driving as I neared her neighborhood.

"Oh, not much, unless you consider the five pies I'm baking, three loads of laundry, dishes and a bathroom as 'not much'." Her annoyed listing was bringing down my mood.

"Anyway I can sneak up there and help ya?" _C'mon, throw me a bone here!_

"Help? Yeah right. You'll just distract me. Sweetie, I've got a billion things to do today. I'll just see you on Monday and maybe we can go out before Thanksgiving." Her voice had softened a little, but it still seemed like she was avoiding me.

"Hey, you know what… how 'bout I go pick up some food, bring it over and… after you've eaten, if I'm still a distraction, you can kick me to the curb." _Please, please, please_.

I know, I sounded clingy and like every other cliché associated with a desperate girl. But, I hadn't seen my girlfriend in a few days. Sookie was feeling a little under the weather last night and crashed right after school. Plus, I didn't consider going to class as "seeing my girlfriend", they're like two different entities.

"Hrmph," I could totally picture the frown that transformed her beautiful face as she realized she was going to relent on my request, "fine! But you better bring me something with plenty of chocolate and something else with lots of salt."

"You got it, baby!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, I was doing my best Mission Impossible impression and snuck into her apartment without anyone noticing. I had taken to parking about a block away during daylight hours- just in case anyone from school recognized my car.

The moment she saw the hot fudge sundae perched in my grip, she ushered me inside and to the loveseat. "Oooh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Practically hopping up and down, Sookie leaned down and left a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

"Well, you seem to be a little happier."

"Duh! Chocolate!" She mimed an incredibly indignant gesture towards the ice cream.

"Oh, my mistake, I thought you'd be glad to see me…" And just like that, the ogre that crept out from time to time lately was tucked away and my girl was back.

"Aww, honey, you know I'm always glad to see you." Sookie slumped down across my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Plus, _you_ brought the chocolate…so, double glad!"

"Any chance I could convince you to put the rest of it in the freezer?" My eyebrow wiggling should have tipped her off to my intentions.

"Hmm… maybe," she twisted and placed the container on the coffee table, "what's in it for me?"

My hands gripped her hips firmly and turned her so she was straddling my legs.

"Well…" a light kiss to her collarbone got her attention, "I was hoping…" one to her shoulder, "that you could explain…" another to her neck, just below the ear, "how to cook a turkey."

Talking about food and food preparation was like an aphrodisiac for Sookie. _And I was one to play all the angles._

Gasp. "Ok…um…I guess… ahh, keep doing that…" my mouth continued to nuzzle, nibble and lick a path from her ear to the tops of her breasts while my hands began lightly kneading her thighs through her jeans. "Shoot… what was I saying…. Oh yeah, ok… so you defrost the turkey…"

Sookie's hands plunged into my loose hair and she held me tightly to her. Her moans and my growls were beginning to take over the conversation. Deep and sultry, I asked, "Uh-huh… then what?"

"Ungh!" Her head fell back as I pulled her against my ever-hardening cock. "I.. uh, you… fuck! I don't remember." By the time she finished the sentence, her eyes dropped down to me as I lifted her left breast from its confines and gently traced the nipple with the tip of my tongue.

"Oh, God! Eric!" Her smooth, soft body arched into me and filled my mouth with her heavy breast. Roughly grabbing the right as my other hand held on to her waist, she whimpered slightly and I pulled back a bit- _oops, guess I was getting a little carried away._

Frustrated, and in one move, Sookie tossed her shirt over her head and whipped mine off in the next instant. The fire in her eyes spurred my movements.

I wrapped my arms around her and laid her down on the thick carpet. _We had yet to make it to her bed, trying to keep things as pg-13 as we could (not all together successfully)_.

Hands grasped at my shoulders and pulled me down to her. Her lips parted, allowing her tongue to slip out and tempt my lips to hers. The moment I pressed them to her, Sookie became ravenous. She bit my lip so hard I tasted a bit of blood

_Fucking hell! That. Was. HOT!_

I couldn't stop my hips, my cock lunged for her. Thankfully, her body had the same idea and met mine halfway. My eyes were trained on her fierce ones as my hands fumbled with her bra clasp, finally tiring of the futility and snapped it from her body.

I swallowed her gasp as I grinded even harder against her scorching, denim covered, center. Pulling her hands to hold them over her head, I worked my way down her jaw and neck, scraping my teeth gently along the rise and fall of her pert nipples.

My head lifted so that my gaze was once again locked on her's.

"Keep them there." With my head, I gestured to her hands.

My voice must have been authoritative enough because Sookie's eyes widened but she nodded her obedience.

Staying within her focus, I bit and licked my way to her waistband. Thick fingers softly digging into smooth curves.

"Mmmm…" her high-pitched hum revealed her appreciation as my tongue circled and dipped into her bellybutton.

Reaching her jeans, I tugged on the material with my teeth as I looked to her for permission. Again, a simple nod and a tug on her bottom lip were my only answer.

I slowly pulled on the denim surrounding the button, with my teeth, until it gave way. Maneuvering the zipper down the front, I got my first glimpse at the lace-covered sanctuary.

My hands began sliding her jeans and panties (_as lovely as they were, they were in my way_) as she lifted her hips. Pants tossed in the same direction as her bra, I resumed my task.

Licking…

Biting…

Sucking…

All around the area that had just been covered by pale, pink lace, but never a direct touch. Sookie's hips impatiently bucked towards me, her hands had crept down to her sides.

"Ah, ah, ah…" I waggled my finger to her, "put them back up there." Blue eyes narrowed in defiance, but, she knew the only way to an orgasm was through my cooperation (and hers).

Hands back in place, I watched her face as I spread her thighs apart, continuing my exploration of her skin. Being the first time I'd get to taste her, I wanted to savor every moment, catalog every sound, scent, and look from her.

Lightly flicking my tongue over her inner thigh, heading towards her pulsing lips, Sookie's mouth dropped open and her neck craned a bit to watch me as I traveled.

Breathing picking up speed, her breasts were rising much quicker than before. Her panting was accompanied by short, soft whines- an indication she was getting annoyed with my tease.

Lifting my tongue away from her skin, she gave me an almost fearful look- _as if I'd leave her hanging._

Without hesitation, I dove for her pussy and split her lips with my aggressive invasion.

"Fuck!" She nearly shouted and levitated at the same time.

Hands pulling her thighs farther apart, I slid my fingers towards her opening. I laved her folds as I proceeded upwards and encircled her clit. Sookie was virtually vibrating with an impending climax.

Lightly traced her inner lips with my fingertips, I gathered moisture to smooth the future penetration.

"Sookie…"

"Mmm…" her head was thrown back, _I don't think she heard me_.

Slowing my movements, "Sookie… what do you want?" My voice was calm and quiet, trying to maintain the tension I'd so carefully built.

"Eric… please, baby… don't stop…" back and forth, her head lolled as she was beginning to lose focus. My fingers continued to toy with her most sensitive area, not quite dipping into her entrance, no matter how forcefully she shoved her hips at them.

"Lover… I'm not stopping, but I want you to tell me what you want." Smooth persistence.

I was trying to get her to open up to me and release whatever has made her so tense lately.

Her body's movement was getting erratic and desperate, "Eric, I… I want you to… use your fingers… and…" _I fucking leaned forward to her the last part_- _this was way too good_, "make… me…come."

The moment the words left her lips, I slammed two fingers into her dripping center. Plunging in deeper and faster with each passing second, I sucked her nub between my lips and let my tongue dance across it in an unpredictable pattern.

At the same time, Sookie's hands flew down to brace my head against her. _No way was I stopping to tell her to put them back_.

Her hips came off the floor as I curled my digits to find her most hidden spot.

Waves of muscle spasms flew around my fingers, "Ahh… Eric… Fuck…." The violent tremors passed through her body while I pumped my fingers deeply.

As her grip loosened on my hair, I slipped my fingers out, slid up next to her and pulled her against me.

Hands placed against my chest, she finally opened her eyes and looked up to me. "Hey."

"Hey," I lightly pressed my lips to hers in a quick embrace, allowing the time to catch her breath.

"That was… I mean… _damn_!"

"Yeah. I never knew _that's_ how you cook a turkey." Sookie smacked my chest with what little space there was between us but chuckled as she did so.

"OK, you're looking a little sleepy. Tell ya what, you're gonna take a nap and I'll clean the bathroom. Ok?" Eyes drooping shut, Sookie softly nodded into my shoulder.

Easing myself up, I gathered her beautifully satisfied body into my arms and carried her to the bed.

* * *

The rest of the weekend breezed by. After Sookie woke up from her nap, she was feeling a little queasy- a knockout orgasm tends to do that to your central nervous system (_hehe, I'd been TiVo-ing the discovery channel_). So, I took off to see what was left of my room after "Hurricane Melinda" whipped through.

By Monday I was feeling anxious about our date later that night. Hoping the progress we'd made on Saturday would continue. Not that I was looking for any reciprocation, I just wanted to see that look on her face again. The look of utter bliss and total abandon.

However, instead of settling my nerves, Home Ec. just made them a whole lot worse.

Ms. Fant was subbing due to an 'unexpected illness'. _What the?_

As soon as I had a free moment, I walked out to my car and called Sookie on my cell.

"Hello?" Her voice was slightly muffled and I could hear someone in the background asking, 'who is it?'

"Sook, what's up? Are you ok?" My concern was escalating. _Who was at her apartment and why wasn't she here?_

"OH, hi, _Jas_…yeah, I'm doing ok, just a little stomach bug…" _Ok, she didn't want the other person to know that it was me on the phone._

"Are you ok? Who's with you? Do I need to come over?"

"Yeah, Amelia's taking good care of me. No, I was just feeling a little sick today." In the background, I could make out little bits of Amelia's constant chatter

'Are you gonna tell him… you should… he'd help you out…'

"Shh…" Sookie impatiently hushed Amelia. _What the hell was she talking about?_

"Listen, Jas. I gotta go and get some sleep. I'll talk to ya later." Click.

_Huh?_

Sookie called me later to cancel our date. I offered to come over and make her some chicken noodle soup but she got a little snippy and told me to just leave her be.

_Damn! I could see what Jason and Alcide were talking about with her attitude._

Sookie stayed home on Tuesday as well. I got the same story from her about needing to just rest and be alone.

Maybe depression was setting in. This _was_ her first holiday without Gran. I didn't want to push her away by hovering, so, I let her be. She promised that we'd get together Friday night.

After that, I didn't call her, in case she tried to cancel on me. I would just show up at her door and see if she'd talk to me.

I guess my mood had soured just a bit by Thursday. Pam and Indira were lounging on the couch, flipping through the channels when I flopped down into the recliner.

My mom and dad were getting the feast together in the kitchen and 'shooed' me away. _Apparently there was an incident when I was three and tried to stuff the turkey myself… with mud, and they've never gotten over it._

"Hey doll, why don't you go tell my parents about the new ad we're working on?" I spied Pam, out of the corner of my eye, give Indira a little wink. The gorgeous brunette smiled knowingly at her girlfriend.

"Sure. Be back in a bit." Lightly patting Pam's knee, she stepped out of the room.

Pam turned towards me fully and pressed the power button for the tv. "Alright, little brother. Who is she and what did you do?" Her eyebrow was cocked nearly to her hairline, lips pursed in obvious confidence.

"A)… I'm not gonna tell you… and B)… I'm not gonna tell you. Boy, thanks Pam, I feel a lot better getting this off my chest." My eye roll was interrupted by her pinching the back of my arm.

"Ouch!" I grimaced and rubbed the afflicted area.

"Fine, Shithead! You wanna be that way? We can get mom in here. She's the one that brought up your attitude in the first place. Oh, surprised are we? Mom said you'd been acting almost giddy for the last month, month and a half, but these last couple days you've turned into a prick!"

_What?_

"Oh, yeah… those were my words, not her's. So, tell me about her and why you're so mopey."

A heavy sigh forced through my lungs as I sorted through what I wanted to tell her.

"Listen… this is between you and me, got it? Nobody else… She's a… few years older than me. Not much, just a couple. It's a big deal to her and she doesn't want anyone to find out about us… at least not for a while. This last month, things have been great. I see her all the time. She's had a rough couple months and I was there for her, but… now, it seems like she's pushing me away. I don't know what to do." I raked my fingers through my hair, yanking on the tangles.

Pam leaned over to make sure there was no one in the hallway. "How much older? Are we talking like sixty year old, wrinkly, librarian type?"

"C'mon, Pam!"

"Alright. Well, one… she could be dealing with whatever happened to her recently, or two…" She looked down at her hands.

"What? What is number two?"

"Well, she could be seeing someone else. Hey, don't disregard this one, that's exactly how I act when I start looking for… _fresh produce_."

"Haha, very clever. This is my love life we're talking about."

"What?"

_Oh shit! Love life? Nah, not possible… right?_

"No, not _love_ love, but you know… whatever. Forget I said anything." I snatched the remote and flipped the tv on to a football game, not really paying attention.

"Well, all I'm sayin' is that you need to talk to her and get everything sorted. Quit being a pussy… _unless she likes that sort of thing_." A pillow to the face ended that conversation.

* * *

Thanksgiving went smoothly. My mom and dad were fascinated by everything that spewed from Indira's mouth. And she nearly fawned over everything Pam said. So, thankfully, everyone ignored my total avoidance of conversation.

I couldn't stop thinking about Sookie, _about us_.

_Was she cheating on me?_

_What could she possibly need to tell Jason? How could he help her?_

By the time Friday evening rolled around, I was wound up and ready to fly. I was at Sookie's door, quietly knocking at eight o'clock sharp.

The sight I took in as she opened the door did not ease my concerns.

Sookie was dressed in pink, plaid pajama pants, a white tank top and her hair was thrown up into a messy bun. However, the part that got to me was the slightly pink tone around her eyes and nose and the tissue clutched in her fist.

I couldn't help myself. I took one step in and grabbed her in my arms. She stiffened for a millisecond before holding on to me tightly.

Kicking the door shut, I picked her up and sat her on the loveseat. I held her for about twenty minutes before she lifted her head and looked into my eyes. Searching them for something, she then opened her mouth as if she had come to a decision.

"Eric… I need to tell you something…"

_No! Please no!_

* * *

A/N- Hmm… another cliffy, for you and Eric. My, my, my, what could it be? Lol.

**Ok, for my clue. In chapter 4, I referenced a certain literary work. This story is loosely based on said work. If you are familiar with it, then you know what Sookie is going to tell Eric. Can't remember? Ok, I'll wait while you check…done yet? Good.

Now, tell me what you think of them apples… ;o)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N- **Weeeellll, helllllooooo there! Hehe, ok, not as soon as I wanted but not a horrible wait, right?

I have some thanks to toss out here…

**LovingVikingEric**- you da bomb-beta baby!

**Sick-of-Dreams**- my own lil' southern-wikipedia ;o)

**Dancinchick32**- fan-freakin'-tastic banner designer, it's totally awesome and y'all should check out her work… http: /img138 . imageshack . us/img138/3428/redletterdayff . jpg (take out the spaces). She made two (one with steam and one without), both are cool and I've also put them into the photo album

http : / picasaweb . google . com/115482632952247218208/CastingForRedLetterDay#

OK, last time we had a little cliffy. If you read the Monday teaser for last week, you already know what is to be revealed. OR, if you checked out The Scarlet Letter (the literary work referenced in chapter 4) then you have a general idea of my plot layout. Either way, your curiosity will be satiated in this chapter, though the ending may be a little less satisfying for some.

Alright, long note over. THANK YOU to all my reviewers and readers- you know you rock!

Disclaimer- Charlaine Harris owns these guys…

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Monday Before Thanksgiving…

_OH_

_My_

_God!_

"Wait, what the hell do you mean PREGNANT?" I was nearing super-sonic-only-dogs-can-hear-you level of screeching.

Dr. Crane gave me a slight smirk, which told me I wasn't the first person to question her credentials when it came to a news flash like this.

"Sookie, calm down. You've got a little baby in ya. Now, step back a minute and take a deep breath. What are your questions?" _Damn Claudine, she always could talk me down from the ledge._

_Deep breath… in…out…in…oh Fuck! _

_I'm fucking pregnant!_

_Damn it all to hell!_

"Alright Claudine, here's one for ya- I'm on the frickin' pill! How does something like this happen when I'm on the PILL?"

Hysterical: characterized by or arising from psychoneurotic hysteria; 'Sookie was hysterical when her OB/GYN told her she was with child.'

_Damn Webster's dictionary brain!_

"Have you been sick within the last couple months, missed a pill, taken it at a really odd time of day. Has anything stressful happened lately?" _SHIT!_

"Damn! Gran passed away on October 1st." My head dropped, even with my now slumped shoulders.

"Ok. Well, the pill only works because it affects your hormones. If they're off for whatever reason…you can get pregnant. My guess is... you may have been under some stress before your Gran passed away and that was just the final straw." Her eyes looked to mine questioningly.

"Yeah, she broke her hip in August and I was getting pretty worried about her health. I guess I didn't… shit! Sorry… I just didn't expect this." The tears filled quickly and threatened to breach the surface.

"My guess is this is not an expected pregnancy. You know, you are early enough… you could terminate the pregnancy."

"No!" I didn't even think- just blurted my answer.

"That's fine. Is the father still in the picture?" I always felt like Claudine was more of a friend than a doctor anyways, so this line of questioning was totally normal.

"Yeah, but… he can't-… I mean, this is just horrible timing." My arms instinctively wrapped around my abdomen.

_Shit, my body was already trying to protect our baby from the obstacles ahead._

_Our baby._

_We were gonna have a baby._

NO! _I _was gonna have a baby. Eric would probably run screaming for the hills the moment I told him.

Which was exactly what he should do. I was old enough to know what I was doing. He had a lot going for him, and a baby… a baby would just be a ball and chain attached to his future.

I couldn't do that to him.

As much as I hated to admit it, I was falling- hard!

At only 19 years old, he managed to capture my heart and I didn't really want to take it back.

_Fuck!_

* * *

Amelia was sitting in an uncomfortable looking chair in the waiting room, thumbing through a magazine.

The moment I walked out, she bounced out of the seat, tossed the magazine aside and rushed me.

In a loud whisper, "Well? Are you?"

I nodded slowly as silent tears slid down my cheeks. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and ushered me out to her car.

Once inside, she handed me a wad of tissues to replace the used ones I'd been clutching. Rubbing my shoulder soothingly, she asked, "Honey, why are you so upset? It's a baby, you should be happy."

She stunned me long enough for the tears to subside as I practically glared at her. "Ok, I know you don't want to tell me who the father is. Though I can't figure out why, we've been best friends since you moved here. Is he really going to be all that upset with a baby on the way?"

"Ames… it's not that. I'm not… we're not ready for a baby. He has a lot of things he'd like to do in his life and a baby would really mess things up." I stared down at the tissues hoping they'd have the answer… they didn't.

"Sook…are you… do you want to get rid of it?"

"No! No, not at all. This is my baby. For better or worse, I'm gonna be a momma. I just… I don't know what to do. He's going to want to put everything in his life on hold to take care of me and the baby, I just know it. I can't let him do it."

"Why not? He's the dad, he should take care of you two. Seriously Sook, you have no problem rearranging _your_ life for a baby, so why should he?" Amelia was getting a little defensive, I knew I needed to steer this conversation to safer territory.

"Ames, I just… I just need to think for a while. Can you drop me off at my apartment?"

* * *

Sitting at the tiny bistro table in my apartment, Amelia and I were sipping our tea. Neither of us could think of much to talk about- other than the enormous elephant in the room.

She continued to try to find out who the father was. She had listed every male faculty member and every single male name she had ever heard uttered from my lips.

"You know, if it's Alcide, you can tell me. I know you two have a history. It just makes sense, Sook."

"Ames, trust me, it's not Alcide's baby. We are great friends, but nothing more. Just let me keep this secret." I was nearly begging for her silence. "And, could we, maybe, not mention the pregnancy to anyone yet?" She nodded, deep in thought.

My phone sang to me from across the room. I rushed and dug through my purse to snatch the device.

One letter read along the caller id- E.

_Shit! _

_Ok, play it cool, she'd never know._

I flipped open the device, "Hello?"

Amelia's head shot up; pulling herself from the thoughts she was hiding in, "Who is it?"

While simultaneously, Eric started grilling me with a nervous tension lacing his questions.

I waved my hand at Amelia in a carefree gesture. "OH, hi, _Jas_…yeah, I'm doing ok, just a little stomach bug…" So sure that my theatrics would be near transparent to Amelia's sometimes-spooky observations, I barely caught her asking if I would tell him and that he'd help me.

_Yeah right! The day I asked my brother to take care of me and my illegitimate child, would be the day Hell froze over and nuns walked around in g-strings!_ I shook my head violently giving her another glare, desperately hoping she'd get the hint and shut up!

"Listen, Jas. I gotta go and get some sleep. I'll talk to ya later." I didn't give him the chance to respond, just hung up. A wave of guilty despair washed over me and I unceremoniously dropped my phone back into the abyss of my purse.

_He needed to know…_

_But how could I crush his dreams like that…_

_He'd want to get married, No-Effin'-Way!_

It's not that I hadn't thought about getting married, or even marrying Eric- I was a girl, it's what we did! Plus, the school will be all over me to get married before the baby arrives.

I couldn't do it; I couldn't allow some archaic custom to rule my life, Eric's or the baby's.

_My body… my decision, right?_

Well, I was deciding to have this baby and take care of it on my own.

_That's right!_

My resolve was already feeling a bit shaky… that or the few crackers I'd eaten this morning were making a comeback. _Oh Shit!_

As I made my way back into the room from my ten-meter dash minutes ago, Amelia was gathering her purse and wrapped me into a soothing hug. My hands draped lightly around her, but I politely turned my head (an rank breath) away from her.

"Girl, you know I'll stand by you no matter where this takes you. Hell! We can raise the baby together, if you want. I just want you to be ok, and… it's a baby, you should be able to enjoy being pregnant with your first child. I know you've sworn up and down that it's not Alcide's," her strong hold tightened when she felt me stiffen, "Nope, I'm not gonna question it. But… well… you know he loves you. He'd marry you in a heartbeat and take care of you both, you know he would… Ok, that's all I'm gonna say. Now, I gotta head back to school and cater to the masses." She released my shoulders and threw a lop-sided grin at me.

As she was about to close the door behind her, I called out, "Amelia?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks… for being you, I'm not sure I could've handled this morning without you."

The door closed quietly and I was left to my thoughts… _fuck!_

* * *

Lying on my bed, staring at the faded white ceiling, I kept thinking about the last couple days… couple weeks, really.

I knew I was getting moody and being an overall bitch, but I just assumed my PMS was raging. Plus, dealing with everything surrounding Gran's passing had been such a weight. There were times when I couldn't breathe, the grief was too much.

Eric was always so sweet, even when I was biting his head off for putting his feet on my coffee table (_which we both did… all the time_); he never gave me a snarky comeback or stormed off. He'd just pull me closer, kiss my hair and let me be.

_Damn! That boy was way too mature for his own good._

The Halloween dance was quite the turning point. Seeing Felicia practically hump him and then Debbie grinding on his lap- it was too much, I snapped.

I certainly hadn't expected him to follow me, or the revelations that were to follow. I also didn't expect to have to tell some freshmen girls about my underwear. _The boys in my classes had been staring at my ass ever since._

Eric showed far more restraint than I would have pegged him for. He never pressured to go any further than kissing and light petting. Well… that was until last Saturday.

He could tell I was avoiding him when he called; I was feeling like crap and wanted to be alone.

_Polite persistence._

_It's how he got me- every-damn-time!_

When I opened the door, he looked like he stepped off the catwalk (_as always_) and I felt like a pile of lukewarm mush. _It was not a Glam-day_.

Funny thing was… when I saw the way he was blatantly ogling me; I didn't feel quite as frumpy. Of course, that was the moment I saw the hot fudge sundae balanced in his hand.

Amazing how chocolate could evoke such a mood-altering response from me (_and probably most women_).

My rollercoaster of emotions and reactions should have left him reeling. But, he took it all in stride.

The way he could shift gears so quickly left me slightly breathless, as did his hands on my hips tugging me towards him.

_How to cook a turkey?_

_That was some pick-up line._

Multitasking was something I should have been a pro at. Most cooks were. _But_ _Hell, I couldn't even tell you my name when he was kissing me like that!_

Our movements felt a little more significant this time. His agile fingers were confident as the smoothed down my body, his tongue and lips not far behind.

I winced slightly when Eric was more forceful than usual with my breasts. _Funny, they'd never hurt before?_

He pulled back a bit but was otherwise unphased and continued his mission. The wider surface area of the floor allowed for great movement… _oh, the bed would've been so much softer._

I couldn't help myself, I actually bit him! Eric was crazed after that, nearly attacking me. My bra, just a distant memory.

The feel of his thick, zipper-bound, erection pressed firmly against my sweltering center nearly threw me over the edge.

_Dominance. _

_What a frickin' turn on._

I tried to remain obedient but nearly lost it when his tongue, teeth and lips worked their way up the inside of my thighs. The way he attacked my center made me want to crawl out of my skin. _So. Fucking. Intense!_

Somewhere in the midst of my state-of-conscious-altering orgasm, I fell asleep.

_I couldn't believe Eric cleaned my bathroom for me!_

Unable to shake the nausea all weekend, I called Amelia to let her know that I'd already taken Monday off.

"What's goin' on? You've been getting awfully sick lately." I explained that I was simply feeling nauseous and just needed a day to recoup. Honestly, with Gran's passing, I never took some time to just take care of myself- this was probably just the stress kicking me in the butt… _or so I thought._

A knock to the apartment door woke me from my, somewhat uneasy, slumber. I forgot to tell Eric that I'd be gone… he better not have skipped when he saw I wasn't there. That'd be just like him.

Lightly wrapped in a pale blue robe, I cracked the door open only to swing it open at the grinning face of my best friend. "Amelia! What are you doing here?" I gave her a quick hug and shut the door behind her.

"OK, the way I see it," she held up a brown, paper sack she'd been gripping between her fingers, "Either you have the flu," Amelia retrieved a small soup can from the bag and set it on the coffee table. "Or, you need to take one of these," pulling out a pink box, I cocked my head at the item in her hand.

"What is it?"

She passed the small, mystery box to me and I read over the front.

'_Test results 6 days sooner…'_

'_One line, negative; two lines, positive…'_

_Hmm… there's a lady holding a baby and smiling… an At home PREGNANCY TEST!_

"Amelia! What were you thinking? I'm not pregnant! There's no way… I can't believe you would… ugh!" Tossing the box over my shoulder to land on the bed, I flopped on the loveseat gently cradling my queasy tummy.

"Sweetie," the petite brunette spoke quietly as she sat next to me, "you've been moody, having odd cravings, tired, and now nauseous? My guess is, these aren't the only symptoms you've been experiencing. I could be wrong, but I'm betting you've got yourself a little baby."

My skeptical glare told her I wasn't responding to her assessment, so, she went on. "I know you've been seeing someone. Not for more than a month or two, but there's been a change." _What? She knew? How could she…we'd been so careful!_

"Hon, don't worry. I only noticed 'cuz you're my best friend. The times when you're not moody, you're practically giddy. And I know you've been getting' some lovin' to be putting a smile like that on your face." The blush couldn't be stopped once it started creeping to my hairline.

"Do you wanna tell me who he is?" She had a soft grip on my hand.

"I can't Ames. I'm not sure how serious he is and I don't want to jinx it." Please let her believe me. It was, mostly, the truth.

"Alright, I know better than to push you on something like this. But… will you please humor me and take the test?"

Five minutes later, I was, violently, emptying the contents of my stomach after the test confirmed my worst fear- I was pregnant.

_How was this possible?_

_I was on the pill?_

_What the hell was I gonna do?_

* * *

Now, here I was, around 9 or 10 weeks pregnant and… what? I had no idea what to do, or how to start. _God, I needed Gran._

That thought sent me into a bit of a spiral and I just sobbed on my sheets until about four in the afternoon. I had no desire to eat or get out of bed for that matter. My first call was to Dr. LeClerq. Explaining that I had the flu and was advised to stay home for the rest of the week (_a little fib, but, at this point, I was already going to Hell_), Dr. LeClerq authorized my time off for the next two days.

My next call was a little harder. I was fighting tears as I cancelled mine and Eric's date tonight. He kept asking if I was ok or if I wanted him to come over. If I wasn't firm with him, he'd end up showing at my door in an hour with comfort food and a warm embrace. _Exactly what I _didn't_ need right now. _So, I had to snap a little to get him to stay where he was. There was no way I'd be able to think rationally with him nearby.

Jason was bummed that I wasn't feeling great and assured me that I could chill out for Thanksgiving. I gave up on arguing over who was making what and just offered to bring over the pies I'd made on Saturday.

* * *

Thanksgiving dinner at Jason's house was bittersweet. There was a hodge-podge of people there. It was great to get to see everyone but, without Gran, it just wasn't the same.

Amelia and Alcide joined us since Alcide's parents were eating a late dinner and Amelia wasn't going to New Orleans to celebrate with her dad. Jason even managed to get a few of our friends from Bon Temps to come in to Shreveport and have dinner with us.

After our parents passed away and Jason became a legal adult, he gained ownership of their house. Once he got the position as PE teacher and head football coach for Shreveport high, he decided to move into the city in a slightly larger house.

Bracing myself for the onslaught of hugs, kisses and well wishes, I stepped into Jason's brick ranch. Hoyt, Lafayette and Tara were the first to take notice of my arrival. Amelia cornered me the moment my childhood friends released me.

"Well… have you told him?" I prayed that her not-so-quiet whisper wouldn't reach anyone else.

"Not yet. We're getting together tomorrow and I'll tell him then. Amelia, I love you dearly, but I need you to back off on this. I will need your support _after_ I tell him and he runs for the hills." The smile I ended my sentence with felt so forced and unconvincing. Amelia's hand gently squeezed mine and she nodded her acceptance.

A pair of solid arms wrapped around my, slightly expanding, waist. With a deep whisper and a faint kiss to the cheek, Alcide wished me a 'Happy Thanksgiving.' I turned to face him, wrapped my arms around _his_ waist and wished him the same.

I may not have been in love with him, but he always knew when I needed a hug.

Other than Jason making sure that I felt alright- the entire day- dinner went fine and I was out the moment I walked into my apartment.

* * *

I woke late in the day on Friday. After tidying up the place and nibbling on some toast, I picked up some pregnancy books at a large, franchise-style bookstore (_the kind that didn't remember your name or what you were buying_… _it went perfectly with my sunglasses and trench coat disguise_).

My emotions took a turn for the worse when I realized that every page in this damn book had a "Daddy Tip."

_We couldn't stay together._

_This would ruin his life._

_Oh, God, what if he didn't want me… us, anymore?_

The tears were still falling when I heard his distinct knock. I tucked the books under the loveseat in an attempt to conceal the evidence. Dabbing at my eyes with some tissues, I opened the door.

His eyes were searching mine frantically. Before I could even invite him in, he had me in his arms and on the loveseat as a new wave of water-works began.

It took a while for my eyes to dry up. _This could be the last time he held me. _It seemed wrong to allow him to comfort me when I had to tell him something like this. As his firm hand rubbed my back, I looked into his face- _this was it, I had to tell him and then he had to leave._

"Eric… I need to tell you something…"

His entire body stiffened as I spoke. Clear blue eyes filled with so much emotion were hanging on my every word.

"I'm sorry about how I've been lately. I know I've been a bitch," he began shaking his head in denial, "No, I have and it's not fair to you. I'm sorry. There is something I need to say…," I moved out of his reach to the end of the loveseat. His expression looked as though I just kicked his puppy.

_God, I was hurting him._

_Time to rip off the band-aid and get this over with._

**

* * *

**

**EPOV**

"Eric… I'm pregnant."

_Holy. SHIT!_

_Wow… not what I was expecting._

"Eric? Are you ok?" The concern in her voice made me aware of the fact that I was in a near catatonic state.

Shaking my head a bit to come back to reality, I realized what a dick I was being.

Sookie's pregnant and _I_ was the one flipping?

_Get your shit together, Northman!_

In an instant, I grabbed my girlfriend and had her tucked under my chin and against my chest as I held her, even tighter than before.

"Ok… we're gonna have a baby… No problem." Her muscles went rigid, reminding me of what happened after we had sex the night her Gran died.

Trying to rectify my previous mistake, I allowed her to look up at me but held my grasp around her.

"No. _I'm_ having a baby and _you're_ going to college. I won't let you give that up. I should have known better. This is my fault and I will take care of the baby. You-," Kissing her was the quickest way to shut her up.

This woman was so freakin' opinionated, I was ready to rip my hair out.

Releasing her lips, I had achieved my goal of subduing her arguments long enough so we could discuss this.

"Have you been to the doctor? How far along are you?" If I could get her to talk about it, maybe we could start making plans.

Over the last few days, I realized how much I wanted her… _needed her_. I had even come to the conclusion that, had she cheated on me, we could work through it. I'd forgive her and we could move on. But this… a baby… was so much better.

Not for the fact that she hadn't cheated on me, but because we created a life while defying the odds. I couldn't imagine that too many women got pregnant while on the pill, especially after the first time, but we did!

Relaxing against me, Sookie stroked my chest through my t-shirt. "Dr. Crane… she's my OB, says I'm about 9 or 10 weeks along. I'm due in mid June." _Perfect! We'd both be out of school, I'd have graduated by then. This would work perfectly!_

"Is everything ok? I mean, the pill didn't hurt it or anything, did it?"

"According to the doctor, everything's fine. She thinks my hormones were off due to stress with Gran's hip and then her passing away. So much so, that my pills weren't working. And, here we are."

"Sook…you know I'm going to be here for you and the baby every step of the way. Hold on… let me just say this, please." Her mouth slowly closed, cutting off the protest that was sure to come.

"Ever since I met you, there has been something pulling me towards you, I have no idea what it is… and I don't care. It feels like everything up to that moment was just… practice. Everything I do and feel with you is hundreds of times better than anything I've ever experienced… We're having a baby... Yeah, the timing sucks, but, it's _our_ baby. I can't possibly explain how happy I am about that." Sookie's hands slipped up my shoulders and cupped my cheeks as she pulled me into a sensuous, emotion-filled kiss.

_What emotion?_

_I couldn't define it just yet._

I rocked Sookie in my arms the rest of the night. By about midnight, she'd passed out. Gently placing her in bed and kissing her forehead, I left.

* * *

The next few weeks went by as smoothly as they could. I constantly worried about Sookie and the baby.

If I noticed her reaching too high in class, I was the first to jump up and help. I didn't give a fuck if anyone else noticed, there was no way I would let something happen to either one of them.

Sookie was reluctant to discuss the baby with me. I kept pushing for a conversation about our future and she'd distract me with a few kisses or complain about sore feet or back. Being the gentleman (_a.k.a. sucker_) that I was, I couldn't let her suffer. Plus, massages were a first step on the road to "sexy-time".

Not that we'd had sex since the first time, mind you. But, we did continue to explore each other's body with our hands and mouths.

Without clothes on, I could see the slight rounding to her supple belly.

On impulse, I bought her an at-home fetal heartbeat monitor. At first, Sookie balked at it. However, when I explained that it wasn't that expensive AND since I couldn't go to the appointments with her, I wanted to hear it too! She relented when I whipped out the good 'ole "puppy dog eyes" (_worked every time_).

By mid December, Sookie was around thirteen weeks along, I finally caught the little bugger's heartbeat on the monitor.

Sitting next to Sookie on her bed, I had the monitor strapped to her belly, ear-buds in and staring purposefully at her belly. Quiet nights like these, Sookie tended to lounge on her bed watching tv with a bowl of popcorn.

Luckily, her morning sickness had dissipated and she had gained a couple pounds. _Ok, she may not have thought it was good news, but I did._

Sookie was flipping between some TLC show about women being pregnant and not realizing it (_can we say, ironic?_) and Just Like Heaven. I was pushing the monitor around the lower part of her belly when I caught a thudding, staticky-noise.

My hand froze and I crouched over her stomach trying to catch the sound again.

Thump-thump

Thump-thump

It wasn't super clear, but it was definitely consistent. _And so damn fast!_

An enormous, shit-eating grin split my face as I slowly turned my head to look at Sookie's questioning expression. "I got it." I whispered in a slightly giddy voice.

Her bright eyes shined as her hand cupped my cheek. She leaned down to kiss my lips.

I couldn't help myself. Pulling her down the bed, I covered her body with mine pressing kisses all over her face.

Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself covering her exposed belly in feather-light kisses and whispering words of encouragement to our baby.

_Our baby._

_Mine._

_They're both mine._

_Damn it! At this point, I'd never quit smiling._

Sliding up next to her, I pulled Sookie in as close as I could get her. She continued watching the spirit of a woman fall in love with the only person that could see her as I fell more in love with the creature residing in the woman of my dreams.

* * *

The following week, we were finishing up final exams and projects before Winter Break. This would be the end of my time in Sookie's classroom, though I had a feeling she wasn't finished teaching me.

Sookie was gliding around the room assessing our final dishes. We had all had the distinct pleasure of creating shrimp etoufee and mine was actually edible.

Sitting on my stool, I ignored the trend of chatting with my neighbor and simply watched Sookie move from station to station with her clipboard.

In the midst of another kitchen counter fantasy, I heard a definite thud and scream. My eyes made a quick pass of the room and found Sookie lying on the floor, hair splayed around her, eyes closed.

I dashed over to her and yelled at Quinn to call 911 and another student to get help. Before that student could make it through the door, Miss Broadway came busting in wearing a multi-colored, tribal tunic.

"Oh my god! Sookie! What happened? Is she breathing? Are you calling 911?" She nearly accosted everyone in her path trying to reach Sookie.

"She fainted but she seems to be breathing." I was kneeling next to my girlfriend's prone body unable to hold her the way I wanted. Needing to feel her skin against mine, I placed my fingers at her wrist, while I attempted to look like I was taking her pulse.

_What the fuck am I gonna do? I couldn't lose her!_

Amelia assessed Sookie's condition and grabbed her hand rubbing circles on the back. Quinn ran out of the room to direct the EMT's that had just arrived (_Thank God for quick response!_).

I barely noticed the crowd of other classes that now lined the perimeter of the home ec room; too lost in my own personal hell.

Two uniformed men hustled into the room rolling a stretcher behind them.

_Shit! What if they need to give her some kind of medicine?_

_The books have specific ones she couldn't have!_

_They always said to alert medical personnel of the woman's condition._

_Fuck!_

Just as I was opening my mouth to let the cat out of the bag, I was saved.

"She's pregnant!"

"And who are you?" The EMT looked over Miss Broadway in a slightly appraising manner.

"I'm her best friend and I'm coming with you, buddy! She's 13 weeks along."

This time I heard a few of the gasps behind me, including an "Oh My God!" from Felicia who'd stepped away from her computer class to join the mob.

I could not have cared less because, at that moment, I watched the three escort my woman and my child away on a stretcher.

And there was nothing I could do.

**

* * *

**

**A/N**- Hmm… so, what are your thoughts now? She's pregnant, but that was kind of a scary ending, right? What did you think of Eric's reaction?


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**- Hi all! So unbelievably sorry for leaving you hanging like that, for what a year, year and a half. Yikes! I suck, big time. I hope you forgive me and I plan to finish this story this summer. It's likely to only have about 3 more chapters- but don't think the angst monster is gone… I still have a doozy for ya ;o)

Big thanks to my co-authors **TMart37 **and **Ap630** and my betas **Ali989969** and **Hearttorn**

Recap- Eric is forced to take home ec to satisfy his credits to graduate. He falls for Sookie, his teacher, almost immediately. They strike up a working relationship, but end up sexing it up when Sookie is distraught over Gran's death. They decide to be friends, and nothing more. However, neither one can deny their attraction and they decide to be bf/gf. Around Thanksgiving time, Sookie discovers she's pregnant. She tells Eric with the intent that they will break up because she doesn't want him to throw away his future because of her mistake. Eric will not hear of it and insists on being part of her and the baby's lives. He is envisioning their future after graduation, while Sookie is just taking things one day at a time.

In our last chapter, the semester was winding down to a close with Sookie completing final assessments. Unfortunately, she faints and Eric is forced with the possibility of losing Sookie and the baby. Amelia swoops in and alerts the EMT's to the fact that she is pregnant and Eric watches them get carted away.

So… on with the show!

Disclaimer- all property of Charlaine Harris… I'm just playing ;o)

Chapter 8

SPOV

Waking to bright lights and a sterile smell, I sensed people milling about around me. My eyes cracked open just a bit due to the blinding florescent bulbs.

"Hey, sweetie. How ya feelin'?" Amelia was by my side, hovering over me, the moment she noticed my state of consciousness.

"My head's a little sore and I have a feeling I should be a bit embarrassed. What happened?" I remembered tooling around the classroom, inspecting various groups' final dishes and then… nothing."

"Well, the doctor at the ER said you probably just fainted. He spoke with Dr. Crane and drew some blood levels. They're pretty sure you were just anemic and hypoglycemic due to the pregnancy." Her calm words sank in and I jolted upright in the bed.

"Oh my God! Is the baby all right? What did I do? Shit! I knew something was going to happen!" My fingers raked through my hair yanking it down my neck.

"Honey," Amelia's strong grip on my shoulder pulled me from my meltdown, "the baby's fine. These are typical things that happen with tons of pregnancies. Stressing about it isn't good, so just relax. Now, for a little question of my own…" Amelia's inquisitive eyes were focused on mine.

"Who's E?"

Panic crossed my face as I pulled my fists to my chest, "What do you mean? E who? What are you talking about?" _No way! She couldn't know… could she?_

"Well," she pulled my phone from a pocket buried in her tunic, "I wanted to see who was blowing up your phone and all the text messages came from someone with the name 'E'. I am also pretty sure he's your baby daddy since he's been asking about the baby." Her eyes narrowed as she waited for me to confirm her suspicions.

I slowly extricated my phone from her grip and scrolled through my messages. There were five from Eric.

_Talk about being lucky. I wasn't sure why I never put in his whole name, but boy was I glad I hadn't. _

**E- Sookie, what's going on, please call me as soon as you get this.**

**E- I couldn't come to the hospital, I'm so sorry :(**

**E- Please, dear God, tell me you and the baby are ok, I don't know what I'll do if there's something wrong.**

**E- Call me, whenever you get this, I'm not going anywhere until I know you both are ok.**

**E- If you haven't called in the next hour or so, I'm coming up there. I don't give a damn who sees me.**

Oh, shit! He left the last message about thirty minutes ago. I needed to call him as soon as possible.

"Yes, he is the father. But… you can't meet him, not yet anyways… Ames, I need to call him, would you mind… ya know?" I gestured to the hall praying she wouldn't be too offended.

Smiling indulgently and nodding, she headed out of the room following the nurse that had been nearly invisible during our conversation.

Half a ring later, "Sookie? Oh my God, please tell me everything's ok." His voice was shaking as if he was either on the edge of a breakdown or bawling his eyes out.

"Yes, everything's fine," I couldn't help the small tug on the corners of my mouth as I felt his concern for us wash over me, "I'm slightly anemic and hypoglycemic. It's no big deal, I just need to take iron supplements and stick to a regular eating schedule. The baby's fine."

A rush of breath was evident across the phone line, "Jesus! I thought I'd lost you, or there was a complication with the baby. When I saw you go down, I didn't know what to do. Thank God Amelia was there."

"What happened?" I whispered the question. Just in case Amelia was listening, I didn't want her finding out that the baby's daddy was in the room with me when I fainted.

"Well, you were walking around and within a second, you were out cold. I ran over and checked you out as best I could. I told some of the other guys to call 911 and get another teacher in there, that's when Amelia came busting in. When the paramedics got there, I knew I needed to tell them you were pregnant," a loud gasp escaped my lips as my hand moved to cover them.

_Fuck! He told people I was pregnant? They would absolutely know he was the father if he did._

"No, no, no. I didn't tell them. Amelia jumped in before I had the chance and told them. Unfortunately, there were several classes watching and they all heard her tell them you're pregnant." My relief was clouded over by the sinking feeling that it wouldn't be long before the entire town knew about my 'condition.'

"Thank God for small miracles," I mumbled as my mouth moved away from the receiver slightly.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. Uh, I'm gonna have to let you go. Amelia is going to take me home in about an hour or two. I'll call you later when I get a little peace and quiet." I prayed Eric would understand that I couldn't call him until Amelia was gone.

"Ok… are you sure everything's ok?" His voice grew quieter as he spoke, almost like he was afraid he would jinx everything.

"Honey, we're fine. I'm good, the baby's good. Things are going to be ok. Talk to you soon." As I disconnected the call with Eric, Amelia walked in with a discharge nurse following her.

**EPOV**

_They were ok._

_She was fine._

_The baby was still where it should have been._

_Thank God!_

Sitting cross-legged on my rumpled comforter, my phone dropped to the bed the moment my head fell to my hands. A slow, quiet sob spread throughout my body until I was lightly shaking the mattress with my over-run emotions.

I didn't know if I was crying from relief or happiness or the weight of the amount of terror I'd been held in for the last two hours.

The moment the ambulance carted off the two most important people in my world, I left school. Driving around aimlessly for a while, I waited to see if Sookie would return any of my initial texts.

After about an hour, I headed home. Laying across my bed, staring at my fucking cell phone, nearly all my nails were gnawed to the quick.

Jumping about a foot off the bed when my phone buzzed to life, I almost crushed it when I saw that it was Felicia and not Sookie who had texted me.

**Felicia: Can you believe that about Miss Stackhouse? What a skank!**

_God! What a bitch!_ I ignored her text and continued to wait. Half an hour after my final text to Sookie, I received the best phone call ever.

She sounded tired but healthy (_if you could _sound_ healthy_).

I understood her fears. This situation could have completely blown our cover.

There was no way I'd let my 'reputation' or hers come in the way of her health or the baby's.

**SPOV**

After all the discharge paperwork was completed, Amelia and I left. Just as we were exiting the hospital, Jason came barrelling through the door.

"Sook! Tell me you're alright. What happened? What's wrong with you? I can't lose you too, not now. Not when you're all I have left. Can you leave? I can take you home and drop Amelia off. I need to call Alcide and tell him what's going on." All this came out at once. Not one single pause for air.

_Poor Jas. _

_He's never handled anything like this well. Not Gran and certainly not this._

I grabbed him in as tight a hug as I could manage.

"I'm fine, Jas... really. Let's just go and I'll explain it all. I just want to go home." The exhaustion from the weight of the situation was beginning to press down on me.

As we pulled up in front of my apartment building, I could see Alcide wearing a rut into the pavement. He looked as bad as Jason had at the hospital. I'd no sooner left the car and he was pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.

Before I had a repeat of Jason at the hospital, I hushed him up.

"Not here, Al. Come up stairs and I'll explain it to you both. I'll explain as much as I can...to all of you."

I shut the door, leaning against it briefly as I took in a deep breath and shut my eyes. _I can do this. They are family. I can do this._

Behind my closed eyes, I could only see one face. How I wished he could be here now. The ache I felt due to the lack of his presence was almost overwhelming.

_I can do this. _

_I _have_ to do this._

Turning to face them, I began my story and, thankfully, they all listened. I recounted finding out about the pregnancy early on in my relationship with the baby's father and that I wasn't certain as to where things were going. But one thing was for sure, come June, I was gonna be a momma.

Alcide cleared his throat and spoke first. The hurt could be heard in his voice and if that didn't give it away, his eyes certainly did.

"But ... Sook, I don't understand. Why can't you just tell us his name?"

"I agree with Alcide. How did he even know something was wrong? You told me he wasn't a member of the faculty."

_Shit. Shit. Shit. I hadn't thought of this. _

_Think fast. _

_Shit._

"I...the father...it's...complicated." _Shit._

"Did he force himself on you?" Jason choked out, ready to pounce. "Is that why you won't say anything... I'll kill the son of a bitch!"

"Is he married?" Amelia would be the only one to find this type of situation as 'no problem'.

"Do we know him?" Alcide was gearing up with Jason to kick some ass.

"I thought you weren't seeing anyone. Why haven't you said anything?"

The questions were coming quickly and I was given no time to answer with the truth, let alone a lie. I held up my hand to stop the barrage.

"NO! Our relationship is still new and, even though this baby is certainly unexpected, it doesn't mean it won't be born into a loving environment. I have my reasons for not telling you his name and I want you all to respect my decision. Please don't make this any harder than it is already," I pleaded with them to honor my wishes.

"But how did he know what happened? I called Jason from the hospital. I didn't tell anyone else."

I took another deep breath and turned to face Amelia.

"I spoke to him this morning and told him I was feeling tired. I guess he put two and two together when I didn't answer his texts or calls."

I couldn't wait until they left. The instant their feet hit the bottom stair; I was on the phone to Eric.

As soon as he answered, the tears started and I couldn't stop.

Before I knew it, he was on my doorstep and I was in his arms. Right where I needed to be.

**EPOV**

The next few days at school before Winter break were unbearable. Sookie was the brunt of most everyone's gossip.

Thanks to Felicia, everyone knew about the baby. Of course, she was quick to embellish the news with stories of drunkenness (that's why Sookie had to leave the Halloween dance early), and one-night stands. I swore, if I wasn't such a gentleman, I'd have broken her nose, even if her daddy had just spent a fortune on it.

Quinn was just as bad. "Lucky bastard, tapping that," or, "What I wouldn't give for a piece of that action," spewed from his mouth each time Sookie's name was mentioned. What was funny was how he had an unfortunate accident each time.

I swear for an athlete you would think he'd be more stable on his feet.

What wasn't so funny was that he even went so far as to insinuate that he and Sookie, _my_ Sookie, had hooked up on occasion..._ I mean really!_

Christmas was fast approaching and I was racking my brain trying to come up with the ideal gift. I knew that Sookie valued things that had meaning or sentimental value. What I wanted to give her was a promise ring but I knew she would baulk at the idea.

I finally decided on a Chamilia bracelet and chose the charms carefully. I wanted it to be simple and significant.

A sterling silver chain with a bead of ruby stones, Sookie's birthstone; a bead of peridot, my birthstone, and nestled in between those, a bead of moonstone...the birthstone for June.

The best thing about Christmas was that we could finally spend some quality time together. The last few days had been hectic and Sookie seemed to be surrounded by either Jason, Alcide or Amelia.

I think they thought she would either slip up and mention my name or I would be there when they "unexpectedly" dropped in. We managed to sneak away to Ruston for dinner one night and a little Christmas shopping. The time away from Sook gave me a chance to pick up some odd jobs around the neighborhood.

From the time I turned 16 and purchased my car (with my dad's help, of course), I'd been picking up whatever jobs I could. Not being able to get a steady job put a damper on my money-saving plan, but my parents wanted me to focus on my grades to ensure a full scholarship. It had always been my goal to fix up my car to near-mint condition, but, since meeting Sookie, my priorities have changed. In addition to fixing up my car, I want to be able to give Sookie some of the things she deserves. Now that we have the baby coming, I can start squirreling away some of the money to take care of my family.

But tonight, Christmas Eve, was just going to be Sookie and me. Sookie was having dinner with her brother tomorrow and Alcide was spending the day with his family. Amelia was also going to be away, spending time with her father.

What Sookie didn't know was that I was going to spend the night. I didn't care if I slept on the couch. I wanted to be with her first thing in the morning.

Mom and Dad thought I was going to crash at Chow's after a party and Chow agreed to cover if they called. Christmas with my family was always in the evening- _procrastinators through and through._

Parking two blocks away, I made my way to Sookie's with her present tucked safely in my backpack. When she opened the door, I was met with the sight of Sookie dressed in a red, wrap dress that showed off plenty of smooth skin. She looked magnificent and I quickly pulled her into my arms to lay the mother of all kisses on her.

Our tongues danced and my hands roamed. I ran them lightly over the swell of her stomach. When we broke for air, I rained kisses down her throat and across the exposed tops of her breasts. They weren't quite so tender now; my fingers (and teeth) were itching to tease her incredibly hard nipples. I wanted her so much and, judging by the way Sookie was grinding into me, I knew she felt the same.

Before it could turn into anything more serious, the timer rang in the kitchen and Sookie pulled away panting.

"We should eat while I can still think straight and afterwards I was hoping we could watch 'Miracle on 54th Street'? It's something that Gran and I used to do every Christmas Eve."

_Couldn't say I wasn't disappointed...but hey, we had all night._

Sookie baked an incredible ham and paired it with cornbread stuffing. Pretty sure neither one of us looked up before we hit the bottom of the plate. After an abbreviated clean-up session (_clearly, the dishes needed to soak... right?_), we snuggled up on the couch to watch the movie. I had one hand wrapped around her belly, the back of my fingers were lightly stroking the underside of her breasts as I gently kissed and nipped at her neck and shoulders.

As the movie finished, Sookie rolled over and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a tender kiss.

"Thanks," she whispered, "for being here."

"How thankful are you?" I whispered back.

With that, Sookie dug her fingers into my hair and crashed her lips to mine. Slow and sensual were gone only to be replaced with a desperate need. Our groans and pants quickly drowned out the sounds from the television as eager hands tore at the fabric separating our skin.

I made quick work of the tie on Sookie's dress and pulled her upright to slide it from her shoulders as she unbuttoned my shirt and slid it from my body. She sat there in front of me in a matching red lace bra and thong, softly panting. Reaching behind her, I unclasped her bra and groaned as her full, ripe breasts came into view. Leaning down, I latched onto one of her nipples with my teeth, slowly circling it with my tongue.

I hoisted my goddess up and brought her to the bed just a few feet behind the couch. Lowering her to the mattress, I ghosted my hand slowly down her stomach. My hand cupped slightly as it made contact with her intensely warm panties. The heat I felt coming from her had my erection threatening to ambush.

Her petite hands fumbled with my button and zipper, making me growl as I helped her with my jeans.

Rolling to my back, I grabbed her hips and settled her over my _pressing need_. Dropping her center down against me, Sookie's heat was seeping into me.

Kissing and sucking her way down my neck and body, stopping to lightly bite my nipples; she was driving me insane.

Nibbling.

Biting.

Sucking.

_Fuck...I hope she marks me._

Making her way slowly down my body... Sookie's hands reached down and began to lightly stroke me.

When she bent down and tongued the pre-cum from my tip, my hands roughly grabbed her hair. I felt like I was going to explode as she took me into her sweltering mouth.

Sookie slowly worked me with her mouth, wrapping her hands around the base. As her speed increased and the sucking intensified, one hand slid down and lightly kneaded my balls.

Fisting her hair tightly, I exploded with a loud, "_Fuuuuck."_

My little minx looked up at me, eyes sparkling, a smile on her face.

"Merry Christmas, Honey."

I reached down, hauled her up and sealed her lips with a tantalizing kiss of things to come.

Pay back...

**SPOV**

_Holy Hell! _

_What he can do with that tongue and those incredible fingers oughta be illegal!_

We bundled under the covers to snuggle. I hoped that he could stay for a while, at least until I fell asleep. Selfish, I know, but it felt so good lying in his arms as I dozed off.

When I woke several hours later, the television and lights were turned off. The only light in the apartment was coming from the Christmas tree and I was securely wrapped in Eric's arms. My bladder was crying out and as I tried to extract myself from Eric's arms, his grip only tightened.

"Eric...honey? I need to use the bathroom... and it must be getting late."

Pressing a kiss to the back of my neck, Eric relaxed his arms. When I returned from the bathroom, Eric was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Sookie, I don't have to go home tonight. My parents think I'm crashing at Chow's and I'd really like to stay. I want to be here, with you, in the morning. I can sleep on the couch... Please..."

_Was I ready for this?_

_Were _we_ ready for this?_

_I couldn't deny the warmth and comfort I felt lying in his arms._

"Ok, I'm gonna put on my pajamas and you can stay here, with me... But just to sleep." My stern face did nothing to stop his chuckles of victory.

I grabbed my pj's and got ready for bed. Eric reached into his backpack and pulled out a pair of sleep pants.

Laughing, I shook my head.

"Yeah...I was kinda hoping you'd say 'yes'."

A deep baritone of 'Jingle Bells' being softly hummed into my hair pulled me from sleep the next morning.

"Merry Christmas, Lover."

On the bed next to me sat a small gift-wrapped box.

Smiling, I padded over to the Christmas tree and grabbed Eric's present. A platinum chain with a Thor hammer. Fitting, I thought, since it had all escalated from the Halloween dance.

The moment I pried the velvet box open, the tears began pooling. Nothing could have been better.

School began again not too long after New Year's and, thankfully, most of the students seemed to have other things to gossip about.

Dr LeClerq was a different matter.

Apparently, my position at the school was up for review.

_Hmm... what a co-inky-dink..._

Mid January brought some unexpected pleasures.

Eric was still the same attentive, thoughtful boyfriend. Never complained about mood swings, my love of strawberry ice cream (_with_ the chunks) and my instant dislike to all things fried.

One night, while watching a movie, Eric was spooning behind me trailing his fingers across my exposed (and expanding) tummy.

The moment his whole body went stiff, I knew he had felt it.

Kick.

We both stared at each other.

"Was that...?" I nodded as he was barely grasping the idea that the small human inside me could muster up that much strength.

The baby kicked again.

Right where Eric had his hand.

The look on his face was priceless.

"Have you... I mean, when... does this happen a lot?" Another nod from me was all he would get, I didn't want to burst his emotional bubble by weeping all over the place.

"Hey there, little one, it's daddy," he whispered, leaning down to lightly kiss the spot his baby last touched.

Tears formed and I couldn't even try blinking them away.

From that point on, whenever Eric touched my stomach, the baby seemed to know. Occasionally, the baby would kick against his hand or lips but more often than not would just gently nudge them.

February rolled around and it was time for my twenty-week ultrasound. I now had a nice little baby bump and my energy levels were finally starting to improve.

We had decided to find out the sex of our baby and Eric was pleading with me to be present for just this one visit.

I had to take Amelia instead. The risk of exposure would be too great and I couldn't do that to him.

It felt strange having her there, holding my hand, instead of Eric. I'd told her and Jas that the father was unavailable, though he wanted to be there.

Amelia was pushing to find out the sex after being told by the ultrasound technician that everything looked great.

"You have a fine baby in there Miss Stackhouse, quite a good size. Must be a reflection on the father," he ventured.

"I wouldn't know," Amelia mumbled under her breath.

At my insistence, the technician didn't say the sex out loud. Instead, I had him write it down and put it in a sealed envelope.

"NO ...Amelia, no! This is for me and the baby's daddy to know first. It's not his fault he couldn't be here and if you can't accept that then that's your problem." Feisty Sookie came out more and more as my pregnancy progressed.

Eric's parents were away for the night and Eric was going to cook me dinner. He knew where I kept the spare key and was going to have dinner prepared before I got back from the appointment. Giving him free reign of my kitchen was my concession for him not being able to be at the ultrasound.

We would open the envelope tonight, when we were together.

Knowing I had dropped Amelia off before coming home, Eric opened the door before I even had a chance to take my keys out.

"How did it go? Is everything alright? Are you and the baby OK?" Large, comforting hands were pulling me into my apartment. Eric seemed to be visually assessing every part of my body as though he'd be able to tell, just by looking, if there was a problem.

_Men._

I hushed his questions with a kiss and slid the envelope into his hands.

"We're both fine...great, in fact. Now, open that up before I scream." The excitement was bubbling over and I was about to burst.

I'd never seen his hands shake so much.

His eyes scanned the small green paper. Over and over. I was beginning to wonder if it was the sex was written within the Gettysburg Address when a massive smile split his cheeks.

Eric's beautiful blue eyes, twinkling with moisture, locked onto mine, "It's...it's a girl."

The green slip drifted to the floor as I was scooped up into those comforting arms once again. His face buried deep within my hair as he whispered, "We're gonna have a baby girl."

A/N- So… any thoughts?


End file.
